Principal Investigator
Prof. Erol Girt
CURRENT POSITION:
Professor, Department of Physics
EMAIL: egirt@sfu.ca
OFFICE: SCP 8474
Dr. Erol Girt joined the Physics department at SFU as a Tier 2 Canada Research Chair (CRC) in Magnetic Materials in 2009. Prior to joining SFU, Dr. Girt spent seven years at Seagate Technology from April 2000 to July 2007, where he was involved in designing new media for magnetic recording in hard drives. In July 2007, he co-founded AQT Solar and served as the Chief Technical Officer (CTO) until September 2009. From 2009 until 2012, he was a member of the Technical Advisory Board of AQT Solar. Dr. Girt has co-authored 75 peer-reviewed articles and holds 40 issued USA and international patents covering innovations from his work at Seagate, AQT Solar, and SFU.
PROFESSOR EMERITUS
Bret Heinrich
CURRENT POSITION:
Professor Emeritus, Department of Physics
EMAIL: bheinric@sfu.ca
OFFICE: SCP 7409A
Bret Heinrich graduated from Charles University in 1962 and went on to earn his PhD at the Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague in 1967 under the supervision of Dr. Zdenek Frait. He was a research fellow at the Physics Institute of the Czech Academy of Sciences in Prague from 1962 until 1970. He joined Dr. A. S. Borovik-Romanov's group at the Institute for Physical Problems of the Russian Academy of Sciences in Moscow in 1967. From 1969 to 1982, Bret served as a research associate at Simon Fraser University, where he held the position of Director of the Surface Science Lab from 1984 to 1996. He became an associate professor at Simon Fraser University in 1996 and was promoted to full professor in 1998. Bret has been a Fellow of the American Physical Society since 1995. In recognition of his contributions, Bret received the Alexander von Humboldt Award in 1998 and was honoured with the IEEE International Conference on Microwave Magnetics Honorary Award in 2016. Since 2008, he has held the title of Professor Emeritus at Simon Fraser University. Bret has coauthored over 250 articles published in international journals and has been the editor of four books.
CURRENT MEMBERS
Our team holds a strong dedication to advancing scientific research and fostering a spirit of collaboration. We deeply value the diverse makeup of our group, as it enhances our collective efforts and outcomes. As an inclusive, equal opportunity workplace, we welcome all individuals, including those from underrepresented groups.
Juliana Lisik (Besler)
CURRENT POSITION:
MSc Student
EMAIL: jbesler@sfu.ca
RESEARCH FOCUS: Developing a new hard magnetic material to improve the performance and energy efficiency of a broad range of applications.
Manuel Rojas
CURRENT POSITION:
MSc Student
EMAIL: mrojas@sfu.ca
RESEARCH FOCUS: The growth and characterization of ultrathin magnetic layers using magnetron sputtering, vibrating sample, magnetometry, and x-ray diffractometry.
George Lertzman-Lepofsky
CURRENT POSITION:
MSc Student
EMAIL: gmlertzm@sfu.ca
RESEARCH FOCUS: Micromagnetic simulations and their applications for the development of optimized magnetic multilayers and magnetic random-access memory.
Kevin Winther
CURRENT POSITION:
MSc Student
EMAIL: kwinther@sfu.ca
RESEARCH FOCUS: The optimization of tunneling magnetoresistance effects in magnetic tunnel junctions created via magnetron sputtering and nano fabrication techniques.
Afan Terko
CURRENT POSITION:
PhD Student
EMAIL: afan_terko@sfu.ca
RESEARCH FOCUS: Micromagnetic simulations for the development of optimized magnetic multilayers and magnetic random-access memory; exploring applications that enhance the performance and efficiency of magnetic storage devices.
FORMER MEMBERS (2009 - Now)
Elliot Wadge
Completed an undergraduate thesis in the PNMD lab.
Now a Master's student in Medical Physics at McGill University in Montreal, Canada.
Dr. Paul Omelchenko
Completed a PhD and a postdoctoral fellowship in the PNMD lab.
Spencer Myrtle
Research associate and teaching technician in the SFU Physics department.
Indira Janzen
Worked as an undergraduate student/research associate in the PNMD lab.
Dr. Tommy McKinnon
Completed a PhD in the PNMD lab.
Now a Software Engineer at Flow Labs in Vancouver, Canada.
Ken Myrtle
Managed the PNMD lab for 30 years and worked as a Technician for the SFU Physics department.
Dr. Nicholas Lee-Hone
Completed a PhD in the PNMD lab.
Now a Quantum Software Engineer at Photonic Inc. in Coquitlam, Canada.
Christopher Coutts
Completed an undergraduate thesis in the PNMD lab.
Now a Research Engineer at Solar Earth Technologies in Burnaby, Canada.
Alex DeLong
Worked as an undergraduate student in the PNMD lab.
Now a Production Technician at TMC Manufacturing Company Inc. in North Vancouver, Canada.
Alex Ensworth
Worked as a Research Associate in the PNMD lab.
Now a PhD candidate at the UBC Physics department.
Dr. Monika Arora
Completed a PhD in the PNMD lab.
Now a Magnetic Materials and Device Scientist at Everspin Technologies in Chandler, United States.
Zachary Nunn
Completed an undergraduate thesis in the PNMD lab.
Now a Research Engineer at Precision NanoSystems in Vancouver, Canada.
Dr. Eric Montoya
Completed a PhD in the PNMD lab.
Now an Assistant Professor at the University of Utah Physics department.
Charles Eyrich
Completed a Master's in the PNMD lab.
Now a Systems Engineering Operations Lead at General Fusion in Burnaby, Canada.
Farnaz Rashidi
Completed a Master's in the PNMD lab.
Now a Backend Engineer at South Pole in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
Dr. Atiah Zamani
Visiting PhD student in the PNMD lab.
Now a Senior Research Scientist at the Pasargad Institute for Advanced Innovative Solutions in Tehran, Iran.
Dr. Joel Klassen
Completed an undergraduate thesis in the PNMD lab.
Now a Senior Quantum Scientist at Phasecraft in England, UK.
Dr. Capucine Burrowes
Completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the PNMD lab.
Now a Patent Engineer at Valeo in Paris, France.
Dr. Wendell Huttema
Completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the PNMD lab.
Now a Research Engineer at Precision GeoSurveys Inc. in Langley, Canada.
Dr. Bartek Kardasz
Completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the PNMD lab.
Now a Principal Engineer at Western Digital in Freemont, United States.
