Javier Palomares

Senior Scientist, ICMM-CSIC ,Spain

F. Javier Palomares is Senior Scientist at the Materials Science Institute of Madrid (ICMM-CSIC), where he has been a staff member since 2002 and has led the Growth and Properties of Heterostructures in the Nanoscale Group since 2010. He holds a PhD in Physics from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, with doctoral research on nanometric film growth and surface science techniques carried out at ICMM-CSIC.

Following his PhD, he joined Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory as a postdoctoral fellow, contributing to the commissioning of a soft X-ray beamline and an advanced photoelectron spectrometer end station at the Advanced Light Source synchrotron. Upon returning to ICMM-CSIC, his research focused on epitaxial growth of metallic multilayers, magnetic thin films, and nanostructures using ultra-high-vacuum physical vapor deposition techniques (Pulsed Laser Ablation and Molecular Beam Epitaxy), combined with advanced structural and spectroscopic characterization, both in-house and at synchrotron facilities. In parallel, he led the development of advanced photoelectron spectro-microscopy infrastructure with integrated SEM and SAM capabilities, enabling micro- and nanoscale studies of self-organized Si nanostructures and lithographically ordered magnetic arrays.

In recent years, his work has centered on nanostructured magnetic systems for high-frequency and magnonic applications, including the control of magnetic anisotropy, precessional damping reduction, and spin wave propagation, supported by micromagnetic simulations. His research has led to the demonstration of a bias-free micrometric 180° spin-wave phase shifter, highlighting the potential of engineered magnetic heterostructures for future magnonic technologies.

Dr. Palomares has authored more than 160 peer-reviewed publications (h-index 32, over 3100 citations), delivered multiple invited talks at international conferences and workshops, served as Principal Investigator of numerous competitive research projects, coordinated multi-institutional collaborations, led industrial R&D contracts, and holds a patent. He has supervised three doctoral theses, and actively contributes to graduate teaching, the training and mentoring of PhD students, the guidance of early-career postdoctoral researchers, as well as outreach activities.