In recent years, numerous magnetic van der Waals layered quantum materials have been reported, including transition-metal halides, transition-metal chalcogenides, transition-metal phosphorus chalcogenides, and metal oxy- and chalco-halides. Unlike 3D counterparts, layered magnets can be easily and rapidly exfoliated to yield ultra-thin magnets, providing unique opportunities for both fundamental physics and new technologies. Furthermore, these materials enable unprecedented experimental access to the ground states, fundamental excitations, and magnon dynamics, as they are highly susceptible to external stimuli. In this talk, I will present and discuss our recent findings in tuning the magnetic properties of quasi-2D layered van der Waals quantum magnets by intercalation and photoexcitation. NSF, NRC, ACS PRF, and DOE supported this work.

Some relevant publications from our group:

1. Dynamic signatures of spin-lattice coupling in the layered ferrimagnet Mn3Si2Te6, npj Spintronics, 3, 1 (2025).
2. Spin-phonon coupling and magnetic transition in an organic molecule intercalated Cr2Ge2Te6, Nano Letters., 24, 9169 (2024).
3. Magnetic Properties of intercalated quasi-2D Fe3-xGeTe2 van der Waals magnet, npj 2D Materials and Applications (2023) 7:56.
4. Helicity-Dependent Coherent Spin-Phonon Oscillations in the Ferromagnetic van der Waals Crystal CrI3, Nature Communications, 13, 4473 (2022).
5. Light Induced Electron Spin Resonance Properties of van der Waals CrX3 (X = Cl, I) Crystals, Applied Physics Letters 117, 082406 (2020).

Bio: Srinivasa Rao Singamaneni is tenured and an Associate Professor in the Physics Department at the University of Texas El Paso (UTEP). He received his Ph.D. in Physics in 2008 from Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, working under the supervision of Prof. S V Bhat. His doctoral work focused on the study of nanoscale charge ordered manganites. He then joined the group of Prof. Andre Stesmans at the University of Leuven (Belgium), focusing on the carbon nanotubes and graphene nanoribbons. He then secured NRC/NAS postdoc position at Army Research Office, USA, working on multiferroic materials.

He joined Faculty at UTEP in 2016. His primary research focuses on two interconnected research thrusts: (a) investigate the magnetic properties of quasi-2D magnetic properties of quantum materials, (b) develop and apply operando (electron) spin techniques to solve the problems related to catalysis and energy materials. He received the funding from NSF DMR, NSF MRI, NSF CBET, ACS PRF, NRC, and DOE LDRD. Under his mentorship, his students secured NSF GRFP, DOE SCGSR, and Outstanding Dissertation Awards and placed at Stanford, Caltech, Rice, UT Austin, and LANL for Ph.D. and postdoc positions. He serves in MRS Awards Committee and Kavli Young Scientist Award Committee. He raised more than $6.37 M (as a PI, co-PI, and mentor) to initiate, run, and establish the research programs in his group at UTEP. He published 85 peer-reviewed articles (total) in the leading international journals. His work has been widely recognized in the community as reflected from more than 3000 citations, 35 invited talks, and h-index of 23. As a lead organizer, he has been organizing MRS Spring Meetings since 2019 on quantum and energy materials.