“My research lies at the intersection of materials science and condensed-matter physics” New FLEET Chief Investigator Dr Julie Karel (Monash University)
It is a great pleasure to announce that Dr Julie Karel (Monash) is now a FLEET Chief Investigator.
Dr Karel conducts research at the intersection of materials science and condensed-matter physics, to develop new materials for emerging low-energy nanoelectronic and magnetoelectronic devices.
Within FLEET Dr Karel will pursue two research streams:
- Modification of materials through ionic liquid gating, towards FLEET’s goal to engineer artificial bandstructure effects and non-trivial topological systems through materials and heterostructure design
- Understanding topology and Berry phase in amorphous and thin-film materials with strong spin-orbit coupling, with potential to identify an entirely new class of materials hosting non-trivial topology.
Both research streams are highly complementary to FLEET research, enhancing the Centre’s ability to achieve its goals, and offering promise for new interdisciplinary efforts to expand FLEET’s capabilities.
Dr Karel is a Lecturer and Lab leader in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at Monash University
She has been an Associate Investigator in FLEET since June 2019, and actively collaborates with several FLEET investigators, in particular Prof Nagy Valanoor (UNSW), Dr Mark Edmonds (Monash) and A/Prof Lan Wang (RMIT).
Originally from the US, Julie developed new thermal interface materials to improve mobile-device performance at Intel, and was a postdoctoral researcher at the Max Planck Institute in Germany.
In materials design, Julie uses complete structural disorder to modify the magnetic and electronic properties of materials, and uses ionic liquid gating to drive materials into novel, non-equilibrium electronic and magnetic states. The resultant properties are probed through electronic and magneto-transport measurements.
Beyond her research contributions, Dr Karel is passionate about engaging women in science and engineering. “Most of my outreach and mentorship is directed towards inspiring and supporting women, at all stages of their career,” she says. “I have spoken about my career path, my research and what being a scientist is like to girls ranging from grade 8-12. I’ve also mentored female undergraduates, PhD students and postdocs.”
- Visit Dr Karel’s lab
- Contact julie.karel@monash.edu