Chris A. Marianetti

Particular emphasis is placed on strongly correlated electron materials where density functional theory (DFT) computations tend to break down qualitatively. One of the Marianetti group's major research thrusts is developing a more advanced formalism which is based upon an integration of the dynamical mean-field theory (DMFT) and DFT. Other formal developments include first-principles-based approaches for studying extreme length and timescales which would traditionally be computationally formidable. Applications span the periodic table, from monolayers to transition metal oxides to actinides, with particular emphasis on materials related to energy storage and conversion.

Marianetti has a diverse academic background spanning numerous disciplines. He did his BS in Welding Engineering at The Ohio State University, and, during this time, also spent one year at the General Motors Technical Center working on robotic resistance welding. He later earned an MS in Welding Engineering at The Ohio State University. His thesis research dealt with weld-metal hydrogen-assisted cracking, a chronic problem in many high-strength steel weldments. He then moved in a different direction, earning a PhD in computational Materials Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His thesis research focused on applying first-principles methods, such as Density Functional Theory (DFT) and Dynamical Mean-Field Theory (DMFT), to energy storage materials. He continued developing/applying DFT and DMFT to strongly correlated electron systems in a post-doctoral position in condensed matter physics at Rutgers University. Following Rutgers, he moved to a second post-doctoral position at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) where he utilized LLNL's world-class supercomputers to apply DFT and DMFT to plutonium. He then moved to the Department of Applied Physics and Applied Mathematics at Columbia University, where he is currently an Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering.

Research Areas

• Computational Engineering Science
• Materials
• Modeling & Simulation
• Nanoscience
• Density Functional Theory
• Dynamical Mean-Field Theory
• Energy Generation/Storage Materials
• Strongly Correlated Electrons
• Phonon Interactions
• Actinides
• Transition-Metal Oxides
• Monolayer Materials