UC Berkeley
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Rice University
Quantum interfaces, memory, logic, and interconnects
Sathvik Ajay Iyengar
I am a 2026 Schmidt Science Fellow at UC Berkeley working with Profs. Asir Khan, Sayeef Salahuddin, and Ana Arias. I study ultrathin electronic material interfaces for low-power computing and AI hardware, and seek to extend these solid-state systems to flexible, stretchable, and wearable platforms.
At Rice University, where I completed my PhD in 2025, I studied hybridization in atomically thin materials at two distinct levels. I discovered Glaphene™, an interlayer hybrid of graphene and two-dimensional silica glass, and demonstrated quantum flexoelectricity arising from curvature-driven intralayer hybridization in graphene.
Working with Profs. Asir Khan and Sayeef Salahuddin, I now build on that foundation to design device-relevant heterostructures that connect atomic-scale interfacial structure to switching energy, scaling limits, and functional behavior in integrated electronic stacks. In collaboration with industry partners including TSMC and Intel, I study how screening, dipoles, polarization coupling, and thermal boundary transport influence switching energy, signal propagation, scaling, and reliability in logic, memory, and interconnect technologies.
Working with Prof. Ana Arias, I seek to extend these solid-state systems toward flexible, stretchable, and wearable platforms where electronic materials must operate across mechanical, ionic, and biological interfaces.
You can explore more in research, browse selected and full publications, or get in touch.
Sathvik Ajay Iyengar
UC Berkeley
Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Rice University
I am a 2026 Schmidt Science Fellow at UC Berkeley, co-advised by Profs. Asir Khan, Sayeef Salahuddin, and Ana Arias. I study how charge, spin, polarization, and heat couple across ultrathin material interfaces for energy-efficient computing, AI hardware, and future flexible, stretchable, and wearable electronic systems.
In the News
Recent news, fellowships, and professional milestones highlight the evolution of my research and career. Collectively, these experiences span interdisciplinary science, international collaboration, academic leadership, and public engagement, and have helped shape both the questions I pursue and the communities I hope to contribute to:
Caltech EAS Trailblazer Symposium: research excellence and future faculty development
One of seven fellows selected for the 2026 cohort, and chosen to deliver an invited seminar in Applied Physics and Materials Science, alongside participation in the program’s faculty development activities.
Schmidt Science Fellow (2026) : interdisciplinary research pivot
Global fellowship founded by Eric Schmidt, former CEO of Google, through Schmidt Sciences in partnership with the Rhodes Trust. Supports early-career scientists to pursue bold interdisciplinary research across fields, with full funding, leadership training, and an international cohort advancing science at disciplinary boundaries.
Purdue Trailblazer in Engineering (2025) : future faculty development
Mentorship, professional development, and a national cohort focused on research excellence, leadership, and broadening participation in engineering.
Rice Future Faculty Fellow (2025) : future faculty development
Structured mentorship and preparation for academic careers, including feedback loops on research vision, teaching, and interviewing.
Japan Society for the Promotion of Science Fellow (2024–2025 funded, 2025–present fellow): international collaboration
Research training and collaboration in Japan, strengthening my approach to building projects across institutions and disciplines.
Inaugural Quad Fellow (2023–present): leadership in science diplomacy
NSF-RT Fellow (2021–2023) : interdisciplinary training
Cross-domain training that shaped how I structure problems across materials, devices, and applications.
Outside the lab, I enjoy playing Carnatic violin, improving my Japanese, working out, and gaming. I’m always happy to connect about research, collaboration, and new directions in electronic interfaces and energy-efficient computing.
Publications
My selected publications explore how material interfaces shape structure, dimensionality, chemistry, and transport at nanometer and atomic length scales. Together, they span energy-efficient electronic materials, quantum and electromechanical phenomena in 2D systems, hybrid and polymorphic material synthesis, device integration, quantum nanoscience, and nanoscale transport.
Featured publications
All publications (by year)
20262026
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Materials Discovery to HBM Design: A Multiscale Framework for High-Thermal-Conductivity Room-Temperature Dielectrics;
H. Gault, *, J. Shih*, H. Tian, A. Patil, H. Kumar K, A. Ramdas, A. Sridhar, E. Piccinini, D. Cornigli, Z. Chen, V. Subbaraman, J. Lei, F. Nardi, H. Kim, H. Kwon, V. Deshpande, G. Thareja, A. I. Khan;
accepted for the 2026 IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM) (*equal contribution) -
Engineered interfaces in electronic materials for energy-efficient computing;
, P. M. Ajayan, V. Meunier, T. Ghani, S. Salahuddin, A. I. Khan;
Nature Reviews Materials, 11, 734–748 (2026) -
Sub-Nanometer Curvature Unlocks Quantum Orbital Flexoelectricity in Graphene;
, J. G. McHugh, J. P. Salvage, R. Vajtai, A. B. Dalton, M. Tripathi, P. M. Ajayan, V. Meunier;
Advanced Materials, e18224 (2026) -
Straintronics and Twistronics in 2D Materials: Structural Control and Predictive Design
;
M. Tripathi*, *, H. J. Wood, A. Sredenschek, M. H. U. Rahman, S. Slathia, X. Shuai, C. S. Tiwary, E. Z. Gnimpieba, A. D. Mohite, M. Terrones, P. M. Ajayan, V. Gadhamshetty, V. Meunier, A. B. Dalton;
Small, e75451 (2026) (*co-first author)
20252025
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Investing in the Indo-Pacific Promise: Early-Career STEM Diplomacy Across the Quad and ASEAN;
*, J. D. Ingram, R. Araki; AAAS Science & Diplomacy (2025) (invited, early view) -
Glaphene: a 2D hybrid of silica glass and graphene;
, M. Tripathi, A. Srivastava, A. Biswas, T. Gray, M. Terrones, A. Dalton, M. A. Pimenta, R. Vajtai, V. Meunier, P. M. Ajayan; Advanced Materials, 2419136 (2025) -
Spatially-controlled polymorph growth of MoO₂ by physical vapor deposition;
J. Elkins*, *, O. Verma, K. Khodabandehloo, A. Krishnamoorthy, J. Zhou, T. Pieshkov, J. Murukeshan, T. Gray, P. Nordlander, S. Link, A. B. Puthirath, P. M. Ajayan; Nano Letters, 25(6), 2283–2289 (2025) -
Mechanistic Understanding and Demonstration of Direct Chemical Vapor Deposition of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides Across Metal Contacts;
L. M. Sassi*, *, A. B. Puthirath, Y. Huang, X. Li, T. Terlier, A. Moujibpour, A. P. C. Teixeira, P. Bharadwaj, C. S. Tiwary, R. Vajtai, S. Talapatra, B. I. Yakobson, P. M. Ajayan; ACS Applied Electronic Materials, 7(14), 6499–6510 (2025)
20242024
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The Rise of Xene Hybrids;
P. Kumar*, G. Singh, X. Guan, S. Roy, J. Lee, I. Y. Kim, X. Li, F. Bu, R. Bahadur, , J. Yi, D. Zhao, P. M. Ajayan, A. Vinu; Advanced Materials, 2403881 (2024) -
Frictional Characteristics of Graphene on Textured Surfaces;
M. Tripathi, , M. H. Rahman, V. Gadhamshetty, P. M. Ajayan, A. B. Dalton; Fundamentals of Friction and Wear on the Nanoscale, 241–264 (2024) -
Go Fast Alone, or Go Far Together: the Power of International Education and Collaboration;
*, X. Hernández-Cruz*, E. Hibbert*, S. Suzuki*; Institute of International Education (2024) -
Vertical heterostructure of graphite–MoS₂ for gas sensing;
M. Tripathi, G. Deokar, J. Casanova-Chafer, J. Jin, A. Sierra-Castillo, S. P. Ogilvie, F. Lee, , A. Biswas, E. Haye, A. Genovese, E. Llobet, J. F. Colomer, I. Jurewicz, V. Gadhamshetty, P. M. Ajayan, U. Schwingenschlogl, P. M. F. J. Costa, A. B. Dalton; Nanoscale Horizons (2024)
20232023
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Solutions Are the Problem: Ordered Two-Dimensional Covalent Organic Framework Films by Chemical Vapor Deposition;
J. P. Daum*, A. Ajnsztajn*, , J. Lowenstein, S. Roy, G. Gao, E. H. R. Tsai, P. M. Ajayan, R. Verduzco; ACS Nano, 17(21), 21411–21419 (2023) -
A Researcher’s Perspective on Unconventional Lab-to-Fab for 2D Semiconductor Devices;
*, S. Bhattacharyya*, S. Roy, N. R. Glavin, A. K. Roy, P. M. Ajayan; ACS Nano, 17(14), 12955–12970 (2023) -
Non-Linear Optics at Twist Interfaces in h-BN/SiC Heterostructures;
A. Biswas, R. Xu, G. A. Alvarez, J. Zhang, J. Christiansen-Salameh, A. B. Puthirath, K. Burns, J. A. Hachtel, T. Li, , T. Gray, C. Li, X. Zhang, H. Kannan, J. Elkins, T. S. Pieshkov, R. Vajtai, A. G. Birdwell, M. R. Neupane, E. J. Garratt, T. G. Ivanov, B. B. Pate, Y. Zhao, H. Zhu, Z. Tian, A. Rubio, P. M. Ajayan; Advanced Materials, 35(47), 2304624 (2023) -
Structural, Optical, and Thermal Properties of BN Thin Films Grown on Diamond via Pulsed Laser Deposition;
A. Biswas, G. A. Alvarez, T. Li, J. Christiansen-Salameh, E. Jeong, A. B. Puthirath, , C. Li, T. Gray, X. Zhang, T. S. Pieshkov, H. Kannan, J. Elkins, R. Vajtai, A. G. Birdwell, M. R. Neupane, E. J. Garratt, B. B. Pate, T. G. Ivanov, Y. Zhao, Z. Tian, P. M. Ajayan; Physical Review Materials, 7(9), 094602 (2023) -
Unravelling the Room Temperature Growth of Two-Dimensional h-BN Nanosheets for Multifunctional Applications;
A. Biswas, R. Maiti, F. Lee, C. Y. Chen, T. Li, A. B. Puthirath, , C. Li, X. Zhang, H. Kannan, T. Gray, M. A. S. R. Saadi, J. Elkins, A. G. Birdwell, M. R. Neupane, P. B. Shah, D. A. Ruzmetov, T. G. Ivanov, R. Vajtai, Y. Zhao, A. L. Gaeta, M. Tripathi, A. Dalton, P. M. Ajayan; Nanoscale Horizons, 8(5), 641–651 (2023) -
Unidirectional Domain Growth of Hexagonal Boron Nitride Thin Films;
A. Biswas, Q. Ruan, F. Lee, C. Li, , A. B. Puthirath, X. Zhang, H. Kannan, T. Gray, A. G. Birdwell, M. R. Neupane, P. B. Shah, D. A. Ruzmetov, T. G. Ivanov, R. Vajtai, M. Tripathi, A. Dalton, B. I. Yakobson, P. M. Ajayan; Applied Materials Today, 30, 101734 (2023)
20222022
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Realizing quantum technologies in nanomaterials and nanoscience;
, A. B. Puthirath, V. Swaminathan; Advanced Materials, 2107839 (2022) -
Properties and device performance of BN thin films grown on GaN by pulsed laser deposition;
A. Biswas, M. Xu, K. Fu, J. Zhou, R. Xu, A. B. Puthirath, J. A. Hachtel, C. Li, , H. Kannan, X. Zhang, T. Gray, R. Vajtai, A. G. Birdwell, M. R. Neupane, D. A. Ruzmetov, P. B. Shah, T. Ivanov, H. Zhu, Y. Zhao*, P. M. Ajayan; Applied Physics Letters, 121, 092105 (2022) -
Non-van der Waals quasi-2D materials: Recent Advances in Synthesis, Emergent Properties and Applications;
A. P. Balan, A. B. Puthirath, S. Roy, G. Costin, E. F. Oliveira, M. A. S. R. Saadi, V. Sreepal, R. Friedrich, P. Serles, A. Biswas, , N. Chakingal, S. Bhattacharyya, S. K. Saju, S. C. Pardo, L. M. Sassi, T. Filleter, A. Krasheninnikov, D. S. Galvao, R. Vajtai, R. R. Nair, P. M. Ajayan; Materials Today, 58, 164–200 (2022)
20212021
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Molecular size-dependent subcontinuum solvent permeation and ultrafast nanofiltration across nanoporous graphene membranes;
C. Cheng, , R. Karnik; Nature Nanotechnology, 16, 989–995 (2021) -
Structure, properties, and applications of two-dimensional hexagonal boron nitride;
S. Roy, X. Zhang, A. B. Puthirath, A. Meiyazhagan, S. Bhattacharyya, M. M. Rahman, G. Babu, S. Susarla, S. K. Saju, M. K. Tran, L. M. Sassi, M. A. S. R. Saadi, J. Lai, O. Sahin, S. M. Sajadi, B. Dharmarajan, D. Salpekar, N. Chakingal, A. Baburaj, X. Shuai, K. A. Miller, J. M. Gayle, A. Ajnsztajn, T. Prasankumar, V. V. J. Harikrishnan, V. Ojha, H. Kannan, A. Z. Khater, Z. Zhu, , P. A. S. Autreto, E. F. Oliveira, G. Gao, A. G. Birdwell, M. R. Neupane, T. G. Ivanov, J. T.-Tijerina, R. M. Yadav, S. Arepalli, R. Vajtai, P. M. Ajayan; Advanced Materials, 2101589 (2021)
20192019
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Surface treated nanofibers as high current yielding breath humidity sensors for wearable electronics;
*, S. Pillalamarri*, S. K. Jana, M. R. Islam, T. Ahuja, J. S. Mohanty, T. Pradeep; ACS Applied Electronic Materials, 1, 951–960 (2019)
Manuscripts in preparation
In preparation and under review Drafts
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Revealing the intrinsic dark excitonic nature of the bright trion;
H. Suchiang, S. Roux, S. Pokawanvit, V. Pareek, J. D. Georgaras, J. Hawecker, J. Nadolna, X. Chen, X. Zhu, T. Fukuda, F. R. G. Bagsican, N. Tomoda, , O. Karni, K. Watanabe, T. Taniguchi, T. F. Heinz, F. H. da Jornada, J. Madéo, M. K. L. Man, K. M. Dani;
(under revision, Nature) -
In-situ Control of vdW Twist via Fe Diffusion in Bilayer Transition Metal Dichalcogenide MoS2;
, J. Elkins, S. Agrawal, I. Chukwunyere, Y. Wang, T. Terlier, S. Kar, S. Suwas, V. Meunier, P. M. Ajayan;
(in preparation) -
Formation, modulation, and Ostwald ripening of nanowrinkles in 2D heterostructures;
, J. G. McHugh, F. Lee, A. A. Graf, H. Wood, S. Ogilvie, P. Lynch, C. Wei, C. Boland, J. Parthenios, K. Papagelis, S. Roy, A. Biswas, M. M. Rahman, G. Venkataramana, C. S. Tiwary, P. M. Ajayan, A. B. Dalton, M. Tripathi;
(in preparation)
Patents
Patents and applicationsIP
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Hybridized Two-Dimensional Heterostructures;
Pulickel M. Ajayan, Sathvik Ajay Iyengar, Anchal Srivastava, Vincent Meunier; Patent pending (2025) -
Co-evaporation of monomer pairs for covalent organic framework film growth;
Jeremy Daum, Alec Ajnsztajn, Sathvik Ajay Iyengar, Rafael Verduzco, Pulickel M. Ajayan; US Patent Application 18/817,919 (2025) -
Multilayer multifunctional nasal filter;
T. Pradeep, Arun Karthick S, Srikrishnarka Pillalamarri, Vishal Kumar, Ramesh Kumar, Sathvik Ajay; PCT/IN2018/050108 (2018)
Invited Talks
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2026 — Invited Talk: California Institute of Technology, EAS Trailblazer Symposium,
Department of Applied Physics and Materials Science
“Hybridization and Electromechanics at Atomically Thin Interfaces” -
2025 — Invited Talk: Georgia Institute of Technology,
School of Materials Science and Engineering
“Electronic Interfaces between Atomically-thin Heterostructures and Hybrids” -
2025 — Invited Talk: Pennsylvania State University,
2D Consortium and Department of Physics
“Electronic Interfaces between Atomically-thin Heterostructures and Hybrids” -
2025 — Invited Talk: Georgia State University,
Department of Chemistry
“Atomically-thin Interfaces: From Nanoscale Physics to Membranes and Biophysics” -
2024 — Invited Talk: University of Sussex,
Department of Physics
“Direct Chemical Vapor Deposition of Transition Metal Dichalcogenides Across Metal Contacts”
Teaching & Education Development
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2022–2024 — Certificate Program in Teaching and Learning,
Center for Teaching Excellence, Rice University
- Principles of Effective College Teaching
- Research on Teaching and Learning
- Practicum in College Teaching
- Teaching Portfolio
- 2024–2025 — Rice Graduate Fellowship Coach, Graduate and Postdoctoral Scholars (GPS) Office, Rice University
- 2023–2025 — Rice Graduate Ambassador , Graduate and Postdoctoral Scholars (GPS) Office, Rice University
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2022–2023 — Director for Teaching Development, Professional Development Team
Graduate Student Association, Rice University -
2022 — Rice NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) Representative
Poster presentation (Press Release), NRT Annual Meeting, Blacksburg, VA -
Fall 2021, 2022 — Graduate Teaching Assistant
MSNE503: Thermodynamics in Materials Science
Instructor: Prof. Ming Tang; Level: Graduate & Undergraduate -
2021–2022 — Department Representative
Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Graduate Student Association, Rice University -
2021–2025 — Graduate Advisory Board Liaison for Teaching
Department of Materials Science and Engineering and Center for Teaching Excellence, Rice University
Contact
Location
Berkeley, CA