Berit Goodge

Our group’s research is driven by a desire to understand how the properties of new materials arise from their atomic architecture, serving the broader goal of on-demand design of novel quantum materials for future technological applications. Functional properties such as multiferroicity, magnetoresistance, and high-temperature superconductivity will be the foundation of next-generation information and energy technologies. These phenomena arise from subtle interplay between structure, charge, and spin in the atomic lattice, which, when properly understood, can be manipulated by careful tuning of stoichiometry or precise engineering of sample geometry. State-of-the-art electron microscopes grant us the ability to directly observe and quantify the detailed atomic configurations that define these behaviors.

From superconductors and magnets to catalysts and thermoelectrics, insights to atomic structure, chemistry, and bonding help us better understand exotic or functional materials from their most fundamental building blocks and translate this understanding to improved materials design. These compounds and devices in turn lay the groundwork for technologies ranging from next-generation computation to energy generation and storage to infrastructure. We are particularly interested in seeing things for the first time, whether it’s a newly discovered compound or a new region of phase space (e.g., in situ temperature, fields, or other stimuli), and are continually working to push the limits of what we can study in the electron microscope through both hardware and software developments.

Our research is built on strong collaborations with experts across the theory, synthesis, and measurement of quantum materials. We bridge fields of engineering, physics, materials science, and chemistry to look for creative solutions to complex problems and fundamental questions.