2014 Volume 12 Pages 203-216
We entered the 21st Century witnessing several remarkable progress in Science and Technology. Novel materials and devices once considered stuffs of science fiction are, one after another, becoming reality. It would not be an exaggeration to say that we are coming to the Age of Designer Materials —Functional materials that have many varied and competing ground states, allowing us to switch the specific properties using external stimuli, e.g., heat, pressure, electric field, and magnetic field. Here, we present some non-traditional theoretical views developed in our group. The unifying themes are: quantum effects, complexity and functionality. We emphasize the unique role played by the Surface/Interface for providing a special environment (a foundation) for realizing Designer Materials, that are not realizable in the bulk and the strategic choice of particular elements as building blocks, e.g., for Exhaust Purification, Memory Devices and (Nano) Spintronics Applications. [DOI: 10.1380/ejssnt.2014.203]
