Thin-Film Deposition of Prussian Blue Analogue based room temperature Magnets

Prussian Blue Analogues (PBAs) are among the few molecule-based materials that can exhibit magnetic ordering at and above room temperature. V-Cr PBAs have demonstrated room-temperature ferrimagnetism, while recent V-Mo systems extend magnetic ordering beyond 400 K. Despite this progress, most high-temperature magnetic PBAs remain available as powders or poorly integrated solids, and scalable thin-film deposition remains a major bottleneck.

This PhD will develop deposition routes for room-temperature magnetic PBA thin films and establish how film morphology, stoichiometry, vacancies, hydration, crystallinity, and substrate interfaces determine magnetic ordering. The project will focus on V-Cr and V-Mn inspired PBAs, with selected mixed-metal variants for improved stability and integration. The candidate will combine wet-chemical thin-film growth, electrodeposition, layer-by-layer assembly, structural characterization, magnetic measurements, and synchrotron methods to build process-structure-magnetism relationships. The outcome will be a thin-film platform for molecular magnetic materials that can later be extended toward magneto-ionic and spin-based computing devices.