Focus: Rare-earth-free cooling materials and magnetism in nanostructures.

Dr. Kumar’s group has developed and characterized Fe-Ta and Fe-W thin films for magnetocaloric applications. These systems are notable for showing both positive and negative magnetocaloric effects, offering tunable thermal responses without rare-earth elements. He explores how film thickness, substrate interaction, and nanostructure influence magnetic ordering and entropy change. His work provides insights into materials that could be used in environmentally friendly solid-state cooling technologies.