Group Members
Sergio A. Montoya, PhD
Principal Investigator
Dr. Sergio A. Montoya is an Assistant Research Scientist at the Center for Memory and Recording Research, University of California San Diego. Dr. Montoya’s research interest include: (i) topological phases in nanostructured materials and their devices, (ii) interfacial and thin film magnetism, (iii) spintronics, (iv) secure erasure of magnetic storage technologies, (v) X-ray and neutron scattering, and (vi) cryogenic and superconducting sensing and information storage devices
Sergio Montoya received his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of California, San Diego in 2016. During his Ph.D. studies, he made important contributions to stabilizing chiral magnetic phases formed in thin-film magnets and understanding their dynamics, including the discovery of dipole-stabilized hybrid skyrmions. From 2017 to 2021, he worked at Naval Information Warfare Center Pacific, a U. S. Navy laboratory, where he led basic and applied research on spintronics, cryogenic and electromagnetic packaging, and superconducting devices. Since 2021, Montoya has been a scholar at UC San Diego’s Center for Memory and Recording Research. He is a recipient of the U.S. DoD SMART Scholarship.
Frederick Spada, PhD
Associate Research Scientist
Dr. Spada's research interests include: (i) evaluation of bulk degaussing methods for securely erasing magnetic media, (ii) structure-property relationships in both thin film and particulate magnetic materials, and (iii) chemical aspects of wear.
Fred Spada received his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from the University of California, San Diego in 1983. From 1983 to 1989 he worked at the Eastman Kodak Research Laboratories, San Diego Division, where he was a senior research scientist investigating materials for use in thin film magnetic recording heads. He came to CMRR in 1989 as a visiting researcher where he is now an Associate Research Scientist.
Ashley Corey
Graduate Student
Research emphasis on hybrid heterostructured materials that combine properties of superconductors and magnetic materials.
Co-Advised with Prof. Alex Frañó (UCSD Physics Department) and Prof. Eric Fullerton (UCSD Electrical and Computer Engineering & Chemical and Nanoengineering Department).
Miki Korol
Undergraduate Researcher
Research emphasis on data erasure of magnetic storage technologies.