WU Tao, Tom
Assistant Professor
Phone: (65) 6514 1047
Email: tomwu@ntu.edu.sg
Webpage: http://www1.spms.ntu.edu.sg/~tomwu/index.htm
Education: BS, Zhejiang University; PhD, University of Maryland
   
Research Area: Condensed Matter; Surface and Nanoscale physics
Research Interests
Spintronics

Spin-based electronics or spintronics exploits spins of electrons to process, store, and transmit information, rendering a new spectrum of functionalities inaccessible for conventional electronics. Specifically, in my group we develop novel methods to synthesis nanowires and heterostructures based on half-metallic oxides and chalcogenides and to fabricate devices to harness their high spin polarization.
 
Functional composite nanomaterials
We exploit the synergy between different emergent materials and develop new synthesis strategies. For example multiferroic composites are used as a novel approach to couple ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism and to effectively manipulate magnetization and electric polarization.
 
Field effect devices and sensors

We construct thin film and nanowire field effect devices incorporating high-k dielectrics to investigate the doping effect and to navigate the phase diagrams of emergent materials. We also construct rational nanomaterials-based devices as chemical and biological sensors.
Selected Publications
1. Xing, G. Z.; et_al. Comparative study of structural inhomogene ity enhanced room-temperture ferromagnetism in Cu-doped ZnO nanowires. Adv. Mater. 20, 3521 (2008).
2. Zhang, Z.; et_al. Self-assembled shape and orientation-controlled synthesis of nanoscale Cu3Si triangles, squares, and wires. Nano Lett. 8, 3205 (2008).
3. Wang, X. J.; et_al. Preparation of polymer-encapsulated gold-nanoparticle dimmers and their application as catalysts to guide the growth of dimeric ZnO nanowires. Nano Lett. 8, 2643 (2008).
4.

Zhang, Z.; Wang, S. J.; Yu, T.; Wu, T. Controlling the growth mechanism of ZnO nanowires by selecting catalysts, J. Phys. Chem. C. 111, 17500 (2007).

5. Wu, T.; Mitchell, J. F. Creation and annihilation of conducting filaments in mesoscopic manganite structures, Phys. Rev. B. 74, 214423 (2006).