The Amir Haghighirad Lab

Amir Haghighirad’s lab is a condensed-matter and quantum-materials research group focused on the discovery, synthesis, and characterization of novel quantum materials that host intertwined electronic, magnetic, and charge-ordering phenomena. The group grows high-quality single crystals of complex oxides, superconductors, and transition-metal dichalcogenides, then uses advanced experimental techniques such as X-ray and neutron scattering, Raman spectroscopy, scanning tunneling and magnetic microscopy, and transport measurements under controlled strain and pressure to probe competing orders like charge-density waves, superconductivity, nematicity, and magnetism. Research topics include the role of soft phonon modes and lattice dynamics in driving charge-density-wave formation, the interplay between charge and magnetic order in rare-earth nickel chalcogenides, and the tuning of quantum phases via chemical substitution, intercalation, or external strain. A distinctive feature of the lab is the close integration of crystal growth, structural characterization, and low-temperature physical measurements to map phase diagrams and uncover new quantum states. Students joining the group can expect hands-on training in crystal growth, diffraction and spectroscopy, cryogenic transport, and data analysis, and will contribute to fundamental questions about how quantum materials behave in real experiments, with applications in future quantum technologies.