Controlling Magnetic Anisotropy in Soft and Hard Materials for Next-Generation Power and Communication Devices
Magnetic materials underpin technologies ranging from electric motors to microwave communication systems. Despite their widespread use, achieving reliable and scalable control over magnetic behavior remains challenging due to the complex interplay among composition, defects, interfaces, and microstructure. This talk presents a unified approach to engineering magnetic anisotropy across soft and hard materials such as yttrium iron garnet (YIG), neodymium iron boron (NdFeB), and manganese aluminum (MnAl) systems through grain-boundary modification and defect engineering. I will connect these underlying material mechanisms to device-level performance, including low-loss magnetic sensing using YIG, coercivity control in NdFeB for high temperature applications, and rare-earth-free motors using MnAl. Together, these studies illustrate how targeted control of anisotropy and microstructure can enable more capable and manufacturable materials while reducing reliance on critical materials for next-generation power and communication hardware.
Piotr Kulik
Assistant Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Central Florida on October 2, 2026 at 10:15 AM in EB2 1231
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Piotr Kulik is an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Central Florida, with a secondary joint appointment in materials science and engineering. He directs the Advanced Integrated Magnetics and Sensors Lab, where his research focuses on bulk and thin-film magnetic materials for power, sensing and communication technologies. His research is supported by DARPA, the U.S. Department of Energy's ARPA-E and the Air Force Office of Scientific Research. He serves as vice chair of the IEEE Microwave Theory and Technology Society Technical Committee on Microwave Control Techniques, and is co-founder and chief technology officer of Vulcan Elements, a permanent magnet manufacturer based in Durham, North Carolina. Kulik earned his Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering from Northeastern University and his B.E. and M.E. degrees from Stevens Institute of Technology.
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