Nitin Samarth

Nitin Samarth is [https://science.psu.edu/physics/people/nitin-samarth Verne M. Willaman Professor of Physics] in the Eberly College of Science and [https://www.matse.psu.edu/directory/nitin-samarth Professor of Materials Science & Engineering] in the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Pennsylvania State University, where he also served as the George A. and Margaret M. Downsbrough Department Head of physics from 2011-2023.{{Cite web |url=https://www.psu.edu/news/eberly-college-science/story/samarth-named-verne-m-willaman-professor-physics/ |title=Samarth named Verne M. Willaman Professor of Physics |publisher=science.psu.edu|access-date=June 9, 2024}}

He obtained his undergraduate degree in physics from the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay in 1980 and his Ph.D. in physics from Purdue University in 1986.{{Cite web|url=http://www.phys.psu.edu/people/nxs16|title=Nitin Samarth — Penn State Department of Physics|website=www.phys.psu.edu|access-date=2016-12-30}} Samarth's research interests center on spintronic phenomena in thin films and nanostructures derived from semiconductors, magnetic materials and superconductors. He has pioneered the synthesis of a variety of materials in this context, resulting in key advances in semiconductor spintronics{{Cite news|url=https://www.scientificamerican.com/magazine/sa/2002/06-01/|title=Spintronics|newspaper=Scientific American|access-date=2016-12-30}}{{Cite journal|last1=Kikkawa|first1=J. M.|last2=Smorchkova|first2=I. P.|last3=Samarth|first3=N.|last4=Awschalom|first4=D. D.|date=1997-08-29|title=Room-Temperature Spin Memory in Two-Dimensional Electron Gases|journal=Science|language=en|volume=277|issue=5330|pages=1284–1287|doi=10.1126/science.277.5330.1284|issn=0036-8075}} and, more recently, topological spintronics.{{Cite journal|last1=Mellnik|first1=A. R.|last2=Lee|first2=J. S.|last3=Richardella|first3=A.|last4=Grab|first4=J. L.|last5=Mintun|first5=P. J.|last6=Fischer|first6=M. H.|last7=Vaezi|first7=A.|last8=Manchon|first8=A.|last9=Kim|first9=E.-A.|date=2014-07-24|title=Spin-transfer torque generated by a topological insulator|journal=Nature|language=en|volume=511|issue=7510|pages=449–451|doi=10.1038/nature13534|pmid=25056062|issn=0028-0836|arxiv=1402.1124|bibcode=2014Natur.511..449M |s2cid=205239604 }} Samarth's research is published in over 200 articles and has over 23,000 citations (GoogleScholar).{{Cite web|url=https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=bJUhFNQAAAAJ|title=Nitin Samarth|access-date=September 16, 2022}}

Samarth is a Fellow of the American Physical Society (2003){{Cite web|url=https://www.aps.org/programs/honors/fellowships/archive-all.cfm?initial=&year=2003&unit_id=DMP&institution=|title=APS Fellow Archive|website=www.aps.org|access-date=2016-12-30}} and Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (2013.{{Cite web|url=http://science.psu.edu/news-and-events/2012-news/Samarth12-2012|title=Samarth Named a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science — Eberly College of Science|website=science.psu.edu|access-date=2016-12-30}} In 2024, he received the David Adler Lectureship Award from the American Physical Society.{{Cite web|url=https://science.psu.edu/news/samarth-adler-lectureship-award|title=Samarth honored with Adler Lectureship Award from American Physical Society|access-date=2024-06-09}} His other honors include the [https://www.iitb.ac.in/story/60th-foundation-day Distinguished Alumnus Award from IIT Bombay](2019), the [https://www.physics.purdue.edu/alumni/outstanding_alumni/ Outstanding Physics Alumnus Award from Purdue University] (2008), the [https://science.psu.edu/news/samarth-earns-faculty-scholar-medal-2008 Faculty Scholar Medal in the Physical Sciences from Penn State](2008) and the [http://www.schreyerinstitute.psu.edu/awards/Atherton#2007 George W. Atherton Award for Teaching Excellence from Penn State] (2007).