About

Supratik Guha is a Professor at the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago and holds a joint appointment at Argonne National Laboratory since 2015. He has held senior executive positions in industrial R&D, the U.S. National Laboratory system, and as a tenured professor at a leading research university. At Argonne, he has served as Director of the Nanoscale Science and Technology Division and Science Advisor to the Director, where he managed Argonne’s overall science strategy during 2018-2019. Currently, he is the Chief Technology Officer at Q-NEXT, a Department of Energy National Quantum Information Center led by Argonne. His research interests focus on the discovery science of new materials and devices for future information processing, including quantum information technologies and geospatial sensor networks for agriculture and water quality monitoring. His quantum research group works on discovering new materials, devices, and atom-scale nanofabrication processes for silicon-compatible chip-scale integrated solid-state quantum memories. He is co-PI of the Materials and Integration Thrust within Q-NEXT. His work on geospatial sensing includes developing and evaluating fully buried wireless underground sensor networks for agriculture and mobile sensing platforms for mapping water quality in rivers. He is also a co-PI at AIFARMS, the first national center for artificial intelligence applications in agriculture, collaborating with experts across multiple disciplines including electrical engineering, soil science, agronomy, computer science, economics, and physical sciences. Supratik Guha was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2015 for his contributions to field effect transistor technology and is a Department of Defense Vannevar Bush Fellow. From 2010 to 2015, he was Director of Physical Sciences at IBM Research, leading over 250 researchers worldwide. He initiated and led IBM’s research in high dielectric constant (high-k) metal gate transistor technology from 1998 to 2011, materials now used in the processors of most smartphones and IBM servers. He championed IBM’s quantum computer on the cloud model and was the first professional manager to assemble a multidisciplinary engineering team for integrated quantum processor design. He also initiated and oversaw IBM’s silicon photonics and IoT-based geospatial technology research, both resulting in successful product impact. After joining the University of Chicago and Argonne, he helped expand Argonne's quantum information sciences program into a key strategic initiative and has actively contributed to national quantum information strategy, including testifying before Senate and Congressional subcommittees, influencing the formation of DOE’s National Quantum Information Centers. Supratik Guha earned his Ph.D. in Materials Science from the University of Southern California in 1991 and his B. Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur in 1985. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and the Materials Research Society. He received IBM’s highest technical award, the IBM Corporate Award, in 2013, and the American Physical Society 2015 Prize for the Industrial Applications of Physics. His recent research has been funded by the DOE, DoD (ONR), NSF, USDA, and the Tata Center for Development.

Research topics

• Physics
• Nanotechnology
• Materials science
• Environmental engineering
• Condensed matter physics
• Optics
• Meteorology
• Environmental science
• Optoelectronics

Selected publications

• Orientation-tunable local crystallization of Si films enabled by atomic imprint crystallization

  Applied Physics Letters · 2026-03-30

  articleSenior author

  In this paper, we demonstrate area-selective crystallization of amorphous Si into tunable crystal orientations enabled by atomic imprint crystallization (AIC), where an amorphous Si layer is crystallized by solid phase epitaxy (SPE) from an externally impressed single-crystalline Si template. Using micro-patterned single-crystalline Si templates, a limited area of an amorphous Si film, where the film surface and patterned template surface are in contact, is crystallized via SPE to create an array of crystallographically aligned dots embedded in amorphous matrix. Combining AIC from the top surface and conventional SPE from the substrate, we demonstrate the fabrication of an array of crystalline dots embedded in single-crystalline matrix with tunable in-plane rotation angle. The results indicate the high tunability of the crystallization process enabled by AIC, allowing precise control of crystallographic properties of thin films with area-selectivity; such capability opens opportunities for the design of new materials for a wide range of applications in materials science.

  PublisherDOI

• Optimizing spin qubit coherence through materials codesign

  MRS Bulletin · 2026-03-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  Abstract The evolution of defect-based spin qubit systems is currently transitioning from fundamental studies and proof-of-concept demonstrations into applications in the burgeoning field of quantum technology. Within this context, new challenges emerge, in particular, the need to understand and engineer the fundamental materials that form the hardware building blocks critical for the scalability and wide-scale adoption of such technologies. While earlier discussions have often focused on qubits within idealized systems, major limitations on spin coherence and optical properties arise from effects imposed by the nonideality of the surrounding host matrix. Decoherence can stem from a variety of sources, including other qubits, nuclear spins, and parasitic point- and extended defects, which interact with the qubit via magnetic and electric fields, photons, phonons, and strain. In this article, we focus on the relevant sources and mechanisms through which decoherence occurs and provide potential mitigation strategies via the synergistic integration of first-principles simulations and materials synthesis and engineering. We aim to provide a tangible link between material properties and material functions thereby enabling materials-by-design. Graphical abstract

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Microstructural and preliminary optical and microwave characterization of erbium doped CaMoO$_4$ thin films

  ArXiv.org · 2025-08-20

  preprintOpen accessSenior author

  This work explores erbium-doped calcium molybdate (CaMoO$_4$) thin films grown on silicon and yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates, as a potential solid state system for C-band (utilizing the $\sim$1.5 $μ$m Er$^{3+}$ 4f-4f transition) quantum emitters for quantum network applications. Through molecular beam epitaxial growth experiments and electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and reflection electron diffraction studies, we identify an incorporation limited deposition regime that enables a 1:1 Ca:Mo ratio in the growing film leading to single phase CaMoO$_4$ formation that can be in-situ doped with Er (typically 2-100 ppm). We further show that growth on silicon substrates is single phase but polycrystalline in morphology; while growth on YSZ substrates leads to high-quality epitaxial single crystalline CaMoO$_4$ films. We perform preliminary optical and microwave characterization on the suspected $Y_1 - Z_1$ transition of 2 ppm, 200 nm epitaxial CaMoO$_4$ annealed thin films and extract an optical inhomogeneous linewidth of 9.1(1) GHz, an optical excited state lifetime of 6.7(2) ms, a spectral diffusion-limited homogeneous linewidth of 6.7(4) MHz, and an EPR linewidth of 1.10(2) GHz.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• In situ synchrotron x-ray studies of epitaxial SrCoO<i>x</i> films during ionic liquid gating

  APL Materials · 2025-06-01 · 1 citations

  articleOpen access

  The manipulation of ions in complex oxide materials can be used to mimic brain-like plasticity through changes to the resistivity of a neuromorphic device. Advances in the design of more energy efficient devices require improved understanding of how ions migrate within a material and across its interface. We investigate the exchange of oxygen and hydrogen in a model SrCoOx epitaxial film—a material that transitions between a ferromagnetic metal and antiferromagnetic insulator depending on the oxygen concentration. Changes to the film during ionic liquid gating were measured by in situ synchrotron x-ray techniques as a function of time and gate voltage, examining the reversibility of the oxide over one complete gating cycle. We find that the out-of-plane lattice constant and oxygen vacancy concentration of SrCoOx are largely reversible although changes were observed in the ordered vacancy structure. Our results provide much needed insight into electrolyte-gated phase behavior in the transition metal oxides.

  PublisherDOI

• Microstructural and preliminary optical and microwave characterization of erbium-doped CaMoO4 thin films

  APL Materials · 2025-10-01

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  This work explores erbium-doped calcium molybdate (Er:CaMoO4) thin films grown on silicon and yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates, as a potential solid state system for C-band (utilizing the ∼1.5 μm Er3+ 4f–4f transition) quantum emitters for quantum network applications. Through molecular beam epitaxial growth experiments and electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and reflection electron diffraction studies, we identify an incorporation limited deposition regime that enables a 1:1 Ca:Mo ratio in the growing film leading to single phase CaMoO4 formation that can be in situ doped with Er (typically 2–100 ppm). We further show that growth on silicon substrates is single phase but polycrystalline in morphology, while growth on YSZ substrates leads to high-quality epitaxial single crystalline CaMoO4 films. We perform preliminary optical and microwave characterization on the suspected Y1–Z1 transition of 2 ppm, 200 nm epitaxial Er:CaMoO4 annealed thin films and extract an optical inhomogeneous linewidth of 9.1(1) GHz, an optical excited state lifetime of 6.7(2) ms, a spectral diffusion-limited homogeneous linewidth of 6.7(4) MHz, and an EPR linewidth of 1.10(2) GHz.

  PublisherDOI

• Capture, Confine, Characterize: High-Throughput Dielectrophoresis-Based Single-Cell Microfluidics Platform to Analyze Mammalian and Yeast Cells Using Raman Spectroscopy

  Small · 2025-09-03

  preprintOpen access

  Single-cell analysis technologies are pivotal in unraveling complex bihological mechanisms, yet existing platforms are often limited to sequencing-based end-point measurements, which fail to capture live cell dynamics. Here, we present a microfluidic-microelectronic device, the Microfluidic Dielectrophoretic Arresting System (MiDAS) that employs dielectrophoresis (DEP) for high-throughput single-cell and droplet trapping in a compact array. We tested multiple trap geometries, including a 20 µm-diameter DEP trap for polymer microbeads, fungal and mammalian cells, and a 40 µm-diameter trap for water-in-oil droplets. The platform demonstrates broad sample compatibility, reliably immobilizing cells and beads of varying sizes. By integrating optical imaging and Raman spectroscopy, we enable interrogation of individual cells with temporal resolution. We describe different modes of MiDAS operation to trap and manipulate single-cells or reverse emulsion droplets on demand, with applications in droplet microfluidics. Our MiDAS platform's simple fabrication, robust performance, and broad compatibility with diverse sample types position it as a versatile tool with transformative potential for single-cell analysis, offering researchers an innovative approach to interrogate cellular dynamics with precision and throughput.

  PublisherDOI

• Cryogenic hybrid magnonic circuits based on spalled YIG thin films

  Journal of Applied Physics · 2025-01-09 · 2 citations

  articleOpen access

  Yttrium iron garnet (YIG) magnonics has garnered significant research interest because of the unique properties of magnons (quasiparticles of collective spin excitation) for signal processing. In particular, hybrid systems based on YIG magnonics show great promise for quantum information science due to their broad frequency tunability and strong compatibility with other platforms. However, their broad applications have been severely constrained by substantial microwave loss in the gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG) substrate at cryogenic temperatures. In this study, we demonstrate that YIG thin films can be spalled from YIG/GGG samples. Our approach is validated by measuring hybrid devices comprising superconducting resonators and spalled YIG films, which exhibit anti-crossing features that indicate strong coupling between magnons and microwave photons. Such new capability of separating YIG thin films from GGG substrates via spalling and the integrated superconductor-YIG devices represent a significant advancement for integrated magnonic devices, paving the way for advanced magnon-based coherent information processing.

  PublisherOA PDFDOI

• Sequential Infiltration Synthesis of Bilayer Porous Alumina Nanostructures for Broad-Angle, Broadband Antireflective Coatings

  ACS Applied Nano Materials · 2025-12-17 · 1 citations

  articleSenior authorCorresponding

  Antireflective coatings (ARCs) are thin films engineered to reduce the light reflection. Delivering broadband, wide-angle performance is essential for photovoltaics, imaging, and sensing, yet truly omnidirectional antireflection remains difficult due to angle-dependent optical paths and a narrow palette of suitable refractive indices. Here, we systematically investigate an emerging class of multilayer inorganic ARCs based on conformally coated nanoporous alumina templated by intrinsically microporous polymers and block copolymers. We establish a design framework that maps thickness reflectance relationships to identify thickness pairs, minimizing reflection across wavelength and incidence angle. We show that deliberately separating the local reflectance minima of the top and bottom layers in bilayer nanostructures broadens the antireflective bandwidth and angular range. We show that 235 nm single-side bilayer porous alumina nanostructures achieves under 2% reflectance from 380–750 nm for incidence angles up to 45° with less than 0.6% reflectance for incidence angles under 20°. The approach is readily extensible to additional layers or materials with refractive indices tuned via templated nanoporosity and composition, enabling practical, etch-free ARC fabrication without HF or fluorinated precursors and advancing straightforward design of broadband, wide-angle (quasi-omnidirectional) ARCs for next-generation optical systems.

  PublisherDOI

• Agentic Synthesis: Autonomous Recipe Discovery via a System of AI Agents and Robotics: Electroplating Ni Thin Film on Cu

  ECS Meeting Abstracts · 2025-11-24

  articleSenior author

  Self-driving laboratories that couple robotics with AI agents for “closed-loop” experiments involving robot driven material synthesis, in-line measurement and decision-making without human intervention may change how materials are discovered and optimized. They hold the promise for automated materials development that can iterate significantly faster than manual workflows while reducing bias and human error. In this work we have explored the playbook for automated experiment–measure–decide loops in materials science using the technologically important example of electrochemical deposition of nickel. Nickel electroplating itself is a mature, industrially relevant process with well-documented chemistries and processes. Industrial Ni electroplating dates back to at least 1866 and has an estimated global market size of 3.9 Billion dollars in 2024. We have therefore chosen the electroplating of Ni on Cu substrates as an important model system for our proof-of-concept studies for benchmarking autonomous material synthesis discovery before tackling more complex chemistries. We present an autonomous experimental setup that discovers and refines electroplating recipes for depositing smooth Ni thin films on Cu substrates. The experiment demonstrates that AI-in-the-loop experimentation can efficiently navigate parameter spaces and uncover process windows for optimizing material performance without human intervention. Also, importantly, we show that hardware and software costs for such agentic synthesis have reduced to the point where they hold the promise of wide deployment and scalability. A benchtop robot executes a four-step closed loop: (1) film plating; (2) in-line measurement of roughness, coverage, and deposition rate; (3) AI feedback; and (4) plating under updated conditions. Decision-making is fully delegated to a large-language-model (LLM) ChatGPT-4o agent that proposes experimental settings and adapts them based on measured outcomes of previous experimental rounds to enable autonomous exploration. A photograph of the experiment setup is shown in the figure below. The controllable variables are plating current density, bath temperature, and electrolyte dilution (water-to-solution ratio), time in seconds. The original plating solution follows a Watts-type formulation: 24% nickel sulfate hexahydrate, 5% nickel chloride hexahydrate, 5% boric acid, 1.4% softener, 0.03% brightener, 0.3% wetting agent, and 64.37% water. The optimization target is multi-objective: maximize film smoothness and areal coverage while achieving a specified thickness. Thickness (and therefore deposition rate) is quantified by measuring the weight of the Ni plated Cu substrate before and after plating using a microbalance. Surface roughness is proxied by measuring the spot size of a laser beam reflected from the Ni surface, which is imaged using a camera. Larger spots indicate higher microroughness. Film coverage is estimated by microscope imaging. All of the mechanical operations are carried out by a robot arm and all hardware controlled via a Raspberry Pi. Analysis of the reflected laser spot and microscopic image is done by sending the images and appropriate text prompts to ChatGPT-4o used as a vision-language model. The LLM agent receives these metrics and textual guidance and returns the next set of parameters—(current density in A/cm 2 , dilution, temperature in °C, time in seconds)—in a machine-parsable format to drive the next robot loop. Operational safety is enforced by hard-coded limits of maximum plating voltage, current density, solution concentration, and solution temperature. We report autonomous experiments starting from an initial prompt to the LLM that describes the experimental objective (100 µm target thickness; smoothest, fully covered films). Though the LLM initially guessed sub-optimal deposition parameters, it consistently converged to optimal deposition parameters of: (a) keeping the original Watts solution (no or nearly no dilution); (b) 0.1 A/cm 2 plating current density (for comparison, current density recommendation is ~ 0.02 to 0.07 A/cm 2 range in the Nickel plating handbook); (c) 35 degree C solution temperature (highest within a manually set safety limit by us)--within 4 to 6 iterations. Our results successfully illustrates how co-designed AI-agentic and robotic systems can accelerate the discovery of material synthesis recipes. It may serve as a starting point toward autonomous optimization of more complex electrodeposition systems and electrochemical manufacturing workflows. Figure 1

  PublisherDOI

• Error-Free and Current-Driven Synthetic Antiferromagnetic Domain Wall Memory Enabled by Channel Meandering

  IEEE Transactions on Magnetics · 2025-05-23

  articleOpen accessSenior author

  We propose a new type of energy-efficient multi-bit magnetic memory based on current-driven, field-free, controlled domain wall motion. A meandering domain wall channel with precisely interspersed pinning regions provides the multi-bit capability of a magnetic tunnel junction memory. The magnetic free layer of the memory device has perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, so that spin-orbit torques induce efficient domain wall motion. Using micromagnetic simulations we find two different cell designs: two-way and four-way switching. The memory cell design choices and the physics of pinning mechanisms are discussed in detail. Furthermore, we show that switching reliability and speed may be significantly improved by replacing the ferromagnetic free layer with a synthetic antiferromagnetic layer. Switching behavior and material choices will be discussed for the two memory implementations.

  PublisherDOI

Recent grants

• EAGER SitS: Photonic Sensor Platform for Point of Interest Soil Sensing

  NSF · $300k · 2019–2022

Frequent coauthors

• N. A. Bojarczuk

  63 shared

• D. D. Awschalom

  45 shared

• Gregory D. Grant

  University of Chicago

  44 shared

• F. Joseph Heremans

  Argonne National Laboratory

  42 shared

• M. Copel

  University of Wisconsin–Madison

  34 shared

• Manish Singh

  Dr. Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences

  33 shared

• Alan Dibos

  28 shared

• Oki Gunawan

  25 shared

Labs

• Guha LabPI

  Research in the discovery science of new materials and devices for future information processing.

Awards & honors

• 2018 Department of Defense Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellow
• 2015 Prize for Industrial Applications of Physics