Faculty

Name: Khan Alam 
Title: Assistant Professor
Brief research interests: Growth and characterization of advanced materials for spintronics, energy storage, and quantum applications
 
Research Areas: Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
Office: 6/121
Tel: 966-1-860-3869
email: khan.alam@kfupm.edu.sa
Website: https://faculty.kfupm.edu.sa/phys/khan.alam

Lab(s) 1. Lab 6-250:      Advanced Materials Research Lab
            2. Lab 6-247:      Magnetism and Charge Transport Properties Lab
            3. Lab 15-4201:  Thin Film Growth and Characterization Lab
Affiliated Center(s):  IRC-Sustainable Energy Systems

                                   :  IRC-Advanced Quantum Computing

Research Interests 
Dr. Khan Alam is engaged in multidisciplinary research across departments and centers, focusing on advanced materials growth and characterization for spintronics, energy storage, and quantum applications.

Biographical Sketch
Dr. Khan Alam, Assistant Professor at KFUPM, specializes in experimental condensed matter physics. He earned his Ph.D. from Ohio University and completed postdoctoral research at the University of Chicago and Argonne National Laboratory. During his Ph.D., he received a Nanoscale and Quantum Phenomena Institute Fellowship and was recognized as a National Science Foundation research scholar. Earlier in his academic career, he was awarded a Gold Medal for his M.Sc. at the University of Peshawar and received multiple Merit Scholarships during his M.Phil. studies at Quaid-i-Azam University.

AWARDS & HONORS
Gold Medal (2007), Best Poster Award (2014), Condensed Matter and Surface Science Fellowship (2015), American Chemical Society Editors’ Choice (2015), Argonne Gold Spot Award (2017), Second Poster Award (2024), First Poster Award (2025)

KEY PUBLICATIONS 

  • A. Majeed, A. Ali, M. S. Khan, M. B. Haider, M. A. Gondal, K. Alam*. "Supercapacitor Dynamics in Magnetic Fields: Mechanisms and Performance Insights." J. Phys. Chem. Solid., 208, 113230, (2026).
  • W. Akhter, H. Rashid, A. Ullah, A. D. Khan, Z. Umar, M. K. Khan, K. Alam*. "Study of Phase, Dielectric and Electrical Properties of (Bi0.5Na0. 5)0.935 Ba0.065 Ti1− xMgxO3 Ceramics." J. Alloys Compd. 1039, 183044, (2025).
  • A. Sulieman, A. Rajjash, E. Abualgassem, A. Safwan, K. Alam, K. Ziq, and M. B. Haider. "Magnetoresistance as a function of manganese doping in Mn-zinc nitride thin films." Results Phys., 76, 108391, (2025).
  • O. A. Saleh, S. G. Rao, K. Alam, and M. Felemban. "Mitigation of oxide growth on aluminum thin films: The role of self-assembled monolayers in superconducting quantum circuits." AVS Quantum Sci. 7, 026802 (2025).
  • K. Alam “Synthesis and Study of Correlated Phase Transitions of CrN Nanoparticles” Inorganics, 12, 247 (2024).
  • K. Alam "Open air X-ray diffractometer for crystallography, compression, contraction, and structural phase transitions with variable temperature capabilities." MethodsX 12, 102703 (2024).
  • W. S. Kamoru, M. B. Haider, B. U. Haq, S. H. Aleithan, A. M. Alsharari, S. Ullah, K. Alam* “Structural, Electronic, and Optical Properties of Chromium Oxynitride Thin Films Grown by RF Magnetron Sputtering” Results Phys., 57, 107387 (2024).
  • B. U. Haq, Se-Hun Kim, S. AlFaify, M. A. Javed, R. Ahmed, K. Alam, A. R. Chaudhry “Physical properties 211-type of MAX phases based on Mn2AlX (X = C, N, and F) through first-principles approaches” Mater. Today Commun., 37, 107384 (2023).
  • K. Alam, R. Ponce-Pérez, K. Sun, A. Foley, N. Takeuchi, and A. R. Smith " Study of the Structure, Structural Transition, Interface Model, and Magnetic Moments of CrN Grown on MgO(001) by Molecular Beam Epitaxy." J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A: Vac. Surf. Films, 41, 053411 (2023).
  • B. U. Haq, Se-Hun Kim, S. A. Tahir, R. Ahmed, S. AlFaify, K. Alam, A. R. Chaudhry “Theoretical investigations of O-and F-surface functionalization of MXenes based on Cr2M (M= C, N).” Mater. Sci. Semicond. Process. 168, 107837 (2023).
  • S. Ullah, A. Ahmad, K. Alam, M. Usman, S. Khan, A. M. Alanazi, F. Khan “First-principles calculations to investigate optical properties of topological semimetal MX compounds (M= Ti, Zr, Hf and X= S, Se, Te)” Mater. Today Commun. 35, 106001 (2023).
  • B. U. Haq and K. Alam*, M. B. Haider, A. M Alsharari, S. Ullah, Se-Hun Kim “Structural, Magnetic and Optical Properties of Exfoliated CrN Ultrathin Film” Physica E Low Dimens. Syst. Nanostruct., 150, 115697 (2023).
  • S. Shabbir, A. Alqahtani, M. A. Javed, R. Ahmed, K. Alam, Se-Hun Kim, Y. A. H. Obaidat, A. R. Rasool, B. U. Haq “Predictions of Novel Polymorphs of Boron Nitride: A First-principles Study” Eur. Phys. J. Plus., 23, 1239 (2023).
  • ·         S. H. Aleithan, K. Al-Amer, Z. H. Alabbad, M. M. Khalaf, K. Alam, Z. Alhashem, H. M. Abd El-Lateef “Highly Scalable Synthesis of MoS2 thin films for carbon steel coatings: influence of synthetic route on the nanostructure and corrosion performance” J. Mater. Res. Technol., 23, 1239 (2023).
  • S. H. Aleithan, S. A. Ansari, M. Y. Perdana, K. Alam, Z. Alhashim, and K. Al-Amer. "The Controllable Ratio of the Polyaniline-Needle-Shaped Manganese Dioxide for the High-Performance Supercapacitor Application." Nanomater. 13, 101 (2023).
  • E. Abualgassem, M. Maarouf, A. Bake, D. Cortie, K. Alam, and M. B. Haider. "Magnetic Properties of TiN:Cr Thin Films Grown by RF/DC Magnetron Sputtering." Phys. Status Solidi (a), 220, 2200544 (2023).
  • S. H. Aleithan, K. Al-Amer, Z. Alhashem, N. A. Alati, Z. H. Alabbad, and K. Alam, “High-quality MoS2 Mono and Few-Layers Film Growth on Different Substrates” AIP Adv., 12, 075220 (2022).
  • A. M. Alsharari, S. I. Qashou, T. A. Hamdalla, N.S. Alatawi, M. A. Alsharif, K. Alam, I. A. M. Mihaina, H. Qaessy, I. S. Yahia, and A. A. A. Darwish, “Tailoring the structural, electrical, and optical features of Erbium (III)-Tris (8-hydroxyquinolinato) nanostructured films for optical applications: effect of film thickness.” J. Mater. Sci.: Mater. Electron., 33, 9966 (2022).
  • K. Alam*, M. B. Haider, M. F. Al-Kuhaili, K. A. Ziq, and B. Ul Haq, "Electronic phase transition in CrN thin films grown by reactive RF magnetron sputtering." Ceram. Int., 48, 17352 (2022).
  • E. Abualgassem, M. Maarouf, A. Bake, D. Cortie, K. Alam, and M. B. Haider. "Optical and Magnetic Properties of Cobalt Doped TiN Thin Films Grown by RF/DC Magnetron Sputtering." J. Magn. Magn., 550, 169023 (2022).
  • B. Ul Haq, S. AlFaify, R. Ahmed, F. K. Butt, K. Alam, Z. Tariq, and S. Ur Rehman. "Structural, electronic, and optical properties of the pressure‐driven novel polymorphs of gallium nitride: first‐principles investigations." Int. J. Energy Res., 46, 2361 (2022).
  • K. Alam, R. Ponce-Pérez, K. Sun, A. Foley, N. Takeuchi, and A. R. Smith. "Investigating the magnetic and atomic interface configuration for a model Fe/CrN bilayer system." J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A: Vac. Surf. Films, 39, 063209 (2021).
  • B. Chakrabarti, H. Chan, K. Alam, A. Koneru, T. E. Gage, L. E. Ocola, R. Divan et al. "Nanoporous dielectric resistive memories using sequential infiltration synthesis." ACS nano 15, 4155 (2021).
  • K. Alam, K-Y Meng, R. Ponce-Pérez, G. H. Cocoletzi, N. Takeuchi, A. Foley, F. Yang, and A. R. Smith. "Exchange bias and exchange spring effects in Fe/CrN bilayers." J. Phys. D: Appl. Phys., 53, 125001 (2020).
  • R. Ponce-Pérez, K. Alam, G. H. Cocoletzi, N. Takeuchi, and A. R. Smith, “Structural, electronic and magnetic properties of CrN (001) surface: First principles studies,” App. Surf. Sci. 454, 350 (2018).
  • B. Haq, S. AlFaify, R. Ahmed, A. R Chaudhry, A. Laref, F. K. Butt, and K. Alam. "Thermoelectric properties of the novel cubic structured silicon monochalcogenides: A first-principles study." J. Alloys Compd., 769, 413 (2018).
  • J. Lin, K. Alam, L. Ocola, Z. Zhang, S. Datta, S. Ramanathan, and S. Guha. "Physics and Technology of Electronic Insulator-to-Metal Transition (E-IMT) for Record High On/Off Ratio and Low Voltage in Device Applications," IEEE International Electron Devices Meeting (IEDM), pp. 23-4. IEEE, (2017).
  • K. Alam, Y. Ma, A. Foley, S. M. Disseler, W. D. Ratcliff, J. A. Borchers, A. Richard, D. Ingram, and A. R. Smith “Structural and Magnetic Phase Transitions in Chromium Nitride Thin Films Grown by RF Nitrogen Plasma Molecular Beam Epitaxy,” Phys. Rev. B 96, 104433 (2017).
  • A. Foley, J. Corbett, K. Alam, A. Richard, D. C. Ingram, L. Zhao, J. C. Callagher, F. Yang, and A. R. Smith, “Contribution From Ising Domains Overlapping Out-of-Plane to Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy in Mn4N Thin Films on MgO(001)” J. Magn. Magn., 439, 236 (2017).
  • A. Foley, J. Corbett, A. Richard, K. Alam, D. C. Ingram, and A. R. Smith, “Structural and Magnetic Properties of Ferrimagnetic ϵ-phase Mn4N and Antiferromagnetic ζ-phase Mn10N Thin Films on MgO(001),” J. Cryst. Growth 446, 60 (2016).
  • K. Alam, A. Foley, and A. R. Smith, “Native Gallium Adatoms Discovered on Atomically Smooth Gallium Nitride Surfaces at Low Temperature,” Nano Lett. 15, 2079 (2015).
  • Awards & Media News: Selected as ACS Editors’ Choice by NanoLetters || NQPI Spring 2015 Newsletter “Atomic Sleuthing Converts Calibration Mystery into Discovery”|| Ohio University Research News “Smith Article Named ACS Editors’ Choice”
  • W. Lin, A. Foley, K. Alam, K. Wang, Y. liu, T. Chen, J. Pak, and A. R. Smith, “Facility for Low-Temperature Spin-Polarized-Scanning Tunneling Microscopy Studies of Magnetic/Spintronic Materials Prepared In-Situ by Nitride Molecular Beam Epitaxy,” Rev. Sci. Instrum. 85, 043702 (2014).
  • Media News: Front page news on NQPI Fall 2013 Newsletter “Hybrid SP-STM/MBE/PLE System Achieving Results”

Book Chapter

  • M. B. Haider, S. Kunwar, and K. Alam, "Applications of Electrochemical Scanning Tunneling Microscopy in Corrosion Research." In Recent Developments in Analytical Techniques for Corrosion Research, pp. 151-165. Springer, Cham, 2022.

Patents

  • K. Alam, M. B. Haider, K. A. Ziq, and B. Ul Haq, “Method for forming a chromium nitride/oxide film” Patent No. US12404578, 2025.
  • K. Alam, M. B. Haider, K. A. Ziq, and B. Ul Haq, “Low pressure closed chamber method for forming chromium nitride thin film” Patent No. US12378658, 2025.
  • K. Alam, M. B. Haider, K. A. Ziq, and B. Ul Haq, “Metal Nitride Thin Films and Methods of Preparation Thereof” Patent No. US12305272, 2025.

 

Dr. Khan Alam Assistant Professor 6/121 966-1-860-3869 khan.alam@kfupm.edu.sa Website