The phenomena in which a magnetic or electric polarization is induced via an external electric or magnetic field has attracted renewed research interest owing to the possibility of creating novel electronic and optoelectronic devices. In this direction, multifunctional materials such as multiferroics, with their enhanced coupling between electronic, vibrational, and spin degrees of freedom, are ushering in a new era of revolutionary advances in optoelectronics, spintronics, and quantum sensing. In this talk, I will discuss several examples of multifunctional materials with less explored phononics and magnonics functionalities. I will discuss how extensive multidisciplinary research is required to understand the inherent properties of complex systems where the new generation of devices demands the integration of materials with diverse functionalities.
Professor Giti Khodaparast research activities at Virginia Tech have been focused on utilizing and enhancing the importance and power of magneto-optical spectroscopy to explore quantum coherence, correlations, and many-body effects in several materials systems that can play important roles in developing concepts for the next generation of devices or shed lights on the underlying interactions at the nanoscale. In addition, she has established strong national and international collaborations with large research facilities including the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Florida, and the Megagauss Laboratory in Kashiwa, Japan. She was selected as a fellow of OPTICA in 2024 and a fellow of SPIE in 2025.