Dr. Monica Ciomaga Hatnean

I am the head of the Materials Discovery Laboratory, a solid state synthesis and crystal growth facility hosted in the Department of Materials (D-MATL), at ETH Zürich (ETH). The idea for this facility stems from a joint initiative between ETH and PSI aiming to strengthen the collaborations between the two institutions.

I am a Scientist (Chemist) working on synthesis, crystal growth and characterisation of various materials with interesting properties (see below the Research Interests section).

Research Interests

My principal scientific interests are at the interface between Solid State Chemistry, Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science. Topics of current interest include:

• Exotic states of matter (e.g. skyrmionic materials, topological insulators, superconductors, etc).
• Frustrated magnetism (e.g. pyrochlores, garnets, Shastry-Sutherland lattices, etc).
• Multiferroic, ferroelectric and magnetoelectric materials (e.g. ferrites, manganites, etc).
• 2D and other van der Waals materials (e.g. semiconductors, superconductors, etc).
• High entropy materials.
• Polymorphism, structural phase transitions, structural disorder and their effect on the physical properties of the material.

My research activities include:  

• Synthesis, crystal growth and characterisation, using both laboratory based techniques and large scale facilities methods, of polycrystalline and single crystalline samples of various compounds (e.g. oxides, borides, chalcogenides, oxichalcogenide, intermetallics).

Projects and Collaborative Activities

• Search for 2D ferromagnetism at room temperature:
  • PI: Dr. Monica Ciomaga Hatnean, Co-PI: Prof. Michel Kenzelmann. 
  • 2023 - 2026.
  • Funding: Swiss NanoScience Institute, 260 kCHF.
• Ultrafast x-ray spectroscopies on high-temperature multiferroics:
  • PI: Dr. Hiroki Ueda, Co-PI: Dr. Monica Ciomaga Hatnean, Dr. Elia Razolli.
  • 2023 - 2025.
  • Funding: PSI Research Grant, 220 kCHF.
• Physical Properties Measurement Systems for Advanced Magnetic Materials.
  • PI: Prof. Pietro Gambardella, Co-PI: Dr. Monica Ciomaga Hatnean, Prof. Jörg Löffler, Prof. Arkadiy Simonov.
  • 2023-2024.
  • Funding: SNSF R'Equip, 424 kCHF.
• Workshop on Tips and Tricks for the crystal growth of inorganic materials.
  • PI: Dr. Monica Ciomaga Hatnean.
  • 2024.
  • Funding: SNSF Scientific Exchanges, 5.5 kCHF.

I am also named project partner on other projects lead by collaborators.

Publications

A full and up-to-date list of all my publications (including number of citations) can be accessed on Web of Science Researcher Profiles, ORCID or Google Scholar.

Short CV