Danilo Barrionuevo Diestra, Ph.D. in Chemical-Physics
Assistant professor
Department of Mathematics-Physics
University of Puerto Rico at Cayey (USA)
205 Antonio R Barcelo Ave.
Room 125-B New Building of Sciences
Cayey, PR 00736
Email: danilo.barrionuevo@upr.edu
Tel. 787-738-2161 ext. 3155
Biography
I earned my bachelor’s degree in Physics from the National University of Trujillo, Peru (2002-2006). Continuing my academic journey, I pursued a master’s degree in Physics at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (2007-2010), where I began research on memory device applications. I then completed my Ph.D. in Chemical-Physics at the University of Puerto Rico, Río Piedras (2010-2016), focusing on the applications of memory devices and energy storage. Following my doctoral studies, I served as an Adjunct Professor at the University of Puerto Rico at Mayagüez (2016-2017) and later at the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey (2017-2021). In 2022, I secured a tenure-track position as an Assistant Professor of Physics at the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey. In this role, I have been actively establishing my research group and mentoring student researchers. As a professor and research mentor, my goal is to provide students with meaningful and engaging research experience that prepares them for future careers whether in industry or academia. I am particularly committed to fostering research opportunities that provide students with the skills and knowledge necessary for graduate studies, ensuring they are well-prepared for the next stage of their academic and professional journeys.
Reseña/Biosketch:
As an expert in the field of materials science, my proposed endeavor is to continue my research on designing high-performance electronic synapses to implement a neuromorphic system on hardware, for improved information processing, task completion, energy usage, and speed. My proposed endeavor is of great importance for the field because it increases the ability to store large amounts of complex data. This is especially relevant in the modern era, where the public and private sectors generate, store, and analyze large quantities of data in order to improve services. This trend is particularly noticeable in the healthcare industry, NASA and Internet of Things (IoT) applications. My proposed research, which will focus on designing high-performance electronic synapses for neuromorphic systems, will therefore leverage my expertise and previous work in the fields of multiferroics for memory devices (e.g., master’s, doctoral and current research at the University of Puerto Rico at Cayey, USA); the development of novel memory storage devices, in particular, will be key for ensuring that these industries are able to store and process such large quantities of information. The successful demonstration of these concepts and implementation will have a broad impact on many industries and society. Further, during the years that I have been working as an assistant professor, I have remained an active and peer-recognized researcher in the field. I have also initiated efforts towards starting my research group and mentoring student researchers. As a professor and research mentor, I aim to provide the students a fruitful and enjoyable research experience, and to prepare them for the years to come, either as professionals or graduate students; such research experiences are especially beneficial for students who may want to continue their graduate studies.
Preparación Académica/Education:
Ph.D. in Chemical-Physics, GPA 3.8
University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras
Dissertation title: Studies on ferroelectric and multiferroic materials for tunnel junction applications
M.Sc. in Physics, GPA 3.9
University of Puerto Rico-Mayagüez
Thesis title: Multiferroic properties of magnetic-ion-substituted oxide-electroceramic thin films
B.Sc. in Physics, 14.5 on a 20 scale
National University of Trujillo Alto-Perú
Research area: Materials science
As a researcher in materials science, my primary focus is on designing high-performance electronic synapses for hardware-based neuromorphic systems. This research aims to enhance information processing, task execution, energy efficiency, and computational speed. In the era of big data, artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized various fields, including facial recognition, autonomous driving, and intelligent robotics. However, current AI implementations primarily rely on algorithm-driven approaches that require high-power computing chips for data processing. My work addresses these limitations by developing energy-efficient, high-density storage and processing solutions, which are critical for managing the vast amounts of data generated across multiple sectors. The impact of this research is particularly significant in fields such as healthcare, NASA technologies, and the Internet of Things (IoT), where real-time data processing and low-power computation are essential. Successfully demonstrating and implementing neuromorphic concepts could lead to breakthroughs in these industries, improving efficiency, adaptability, and functionality in cutting-edge technologies. Beyond neuromorphic computing, I am also exploring the development of thin-film batteries for medical applications. This work focuses on creating compact, high-performance energy storage solutions tailored for biomedical devices, supporting advancements in next-generation medical technologies. As an Assistant Professor, I have remained an active and peer-recognized researcher, dedicated to pushing the boundaries of materials science and mentoring the next generation of scientists. My goal is to contribute to both fundamental research and real-world applications, driving technological progress that benefits society.
Publicaciones/Publications:
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- Barrionuevo D, Ortega N, Sanchez D, Kumar A, Pichardo P, Arocho N, Romero L, Melendez L, Katiyar R. Nanoscale Multiferroic Properties at Room Temperature of Lead Zirconate Titanate Iron Tantalate for Memory Device Applications. Integrated Ferroelectrics. 2021 December 14; 221(1):53-63. Available from:
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10584587.2021.1965832 DOI:
10.1080/10584587.2021.1965832 - Barrionuevo D, Zhang L, Ortega N, Sokolov A, Kumar A, Scott J, Katiyar R. Enhanced
tunneling electroresistance in Pt/PZT/LSMO ferroelectric tunnel junctions in presence of
magnetic field. Integrated Ferroelectrics. 2016 July 13; 174(1):174-185. Available from:
http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/10584587.2016.1196053 DOI:
10.1080/10584587.2016.1196053 - Kumar A, Barrionuevo D, Ortega N, Shukla A, Shannigrahi S, Scott J, Katiyar R. Ferroelectric capped magnetization in multiferroic PZT/LSMO tunnel junctions. Applied Physics Letters. 2015 March 30; 106(13):132901-. Available from:
http://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.4916732 DOI: 10.1063/1.4916732 - Barrionuevo D, Zhang L, Ortega N, Sokolov A, Kumar A, Misra P, Scott J, Katiyar R.
Tunneling electroresistance in multiferroic heterostructures. Nanotechnology.
2014 December 12; 25(49):495203-. Available from:
https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0957-4484/25/49/495203 DOI: 10.1088/0957-
4484/25/49/495203 - Barrionuevo D, Ortega N, Kumar A, Chatterjee R, Scott J, Katiyar R. Thickness dependent
functional properties of PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 heterostructures. Journal of Applied Physics. 2013 December 21; 114(23):234103-. Available from:
http://aip.scitation.org/doi/10.1063/1.4848017 DOI: 10.1063/1.4848017
- Barrionuevo D, Ortega N, Sanchez D, Kumar A, Pichardo P, Arocho N, Romero L, Melendez L, Katiyar R. Nanoscale Multiferroic Properties at Room Temperature of Lead Zirconate Titanate Iron Tantalate for Memory Device Applications. Integrated Ferroelectrics. 2021 December 14; 221(1):53-63. Available from:
Complete List of Published Work in My ORCID, LinkedIn, and Google Scholar profiles:
ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6900-8789
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/danilo-g-barrionuevo-diestra-a00897123/?originalSubdomain=pr
Google Scholar: https://scholar.google.com.pe/citations?user=P6V5EQ4AAAAJ&hl=en