Research Focus

Q-carbon and Novel Materials

Discovery, synthesis, and applications of Q-carbon, diamond-related structures, and advanced nanomaterials

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Defect-Free Semiconductors

Domain-matching epitaxy for high-performance LEDs, solar cells, and electronic devices

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Atomic- and Nanoscale Engineering

Structure–property correlations, device integration, and next-generation materials for energy and security

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Jagdish Narayan, Principal Investigator

Professor Jagdish Narayan, John Fan Family Distinguished Chair Professor, received his Ph.D. in materials science from the University of California, Berkeley. He worked as a Research Metallurgist at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory and as a Senior Scientist and Group Leader at Oak Ridge National Laboratory before joining North Carolina State University in 1983. He has also served as Director of the Division of Materials Research at the National Science Foundation and holds a Distinguished Visiting Scientist appointment at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Faculty Profile

Research Focus: Advancing Q-carbon, Diamond, and Novel Materials

Our areas of expertise include:

• Novel materials discovery and synthesis:
  • Q-carbon and Q-BN with direct conversion into diamond and c-BN
  • Polyamorphism and high-temperature superconductivity in B-doped Q-carbon
  • Self-assembled magnetic materials for nanomagnetics and spintronics
• Thin film growth and processing:
  • Domain matching epitaxy (DME) for defect-free semiconductors
  • Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and Laser-MBE for thin films
  • Laser annealing and transient thermal processing for advanced semiconductors
• Devices and applications:
  • Quantum nanostructuring for Nano-Pocket LEDs and high-efficiency GaN-based devices
  • Nanostructured sensors, integrated on Si platforms
  • Supersaturated semiconductor alloys for modern integrated circuits
• Core research goals:
  • Discovering and engineering new phases of matter (Q-carbon, Q-BN)
  • Establishing atomic- and nanoscale structure–property correlations
  • Developing defect-free semiconductors and next-generation optoelectronic devices

Breakthrough in Q-carbon Materials

The Narayan Research Lab reports the discovery of Q-carbon, a novel phase harder than diamond with unique magnetic and electronic properties, opening transformative pathways for advanced electronics, quantum devices, and energy technologies.

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Selected high-impact publications

• Progress in Q-carbon and related materials with extraordinary properties — Materials Research Letters
• High-Temperature Superconductivity (Tc = 55 K) in B-doped Q-carbon — ACS Publications
• Q-carbon Harder Than Diamond — MRS Communications
• Novel Phase of Carbon, Ferromagnetism and Conversion Into Diamond — Journal of Applied Physics
• Q-Carbon Discovery and Formation of Single-Crystal Diamond Nano- and Microneedles and Thin Films — Materials Research Letters

Recent paper

Large-Area Ferromagnetic Q-Carbon: Thin Films for Wafer-Scale Devices

The Narayan Research Lab reports large-area growth of ferromagnetic Q-carbon thin films, enabling wafer-scale integration paths toward diamond and diamond-like device platforms.

Join the Narayan Team

We are looking for talented and motivated graduate students and postdoctoral researchers to join the group.

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