Prof. Congmian Zhen | Physics | Best Researcher Award

College of Physics Hebei Normal University | China

Prof. Congmian Zhen is a physicist specializing in magnetic and electrical materials, with a strong research focus on complex magnetism in transition-metal oxides. Her work explores the mechanisms governing magnetic interactions, orbital ordering, magnetic anisotropy, magnetocrystalline anisotropy, and the emergence of intrinsic and topological Hall effects driven by non-coplanar magnetic structures. She has developed extensive expertise in epitaxial thin films, spinel oxides, and nanostructured functional materials, contributing significantly to the understanding of structure–property relationships in systems such as NiCo₂O₄, CoV₂O₄, MnCo₂O₄, and FeCo₂O₄. Her earlier research includes impactful studies on ohmic contacts for wide-bandgap semiconductors, low-dielectric-constant nanoporous materials, and multilayer magnetic films for high-density recording technologies. Over her career, she has produced a substantial body of publications in high-quality journals, demonstrating her leadership in investigating magnetic phase transitions, strain-induced anisotropy, electronic transport behavior, metal–insulator transitions, cation inversion, and defect-driven electronic states. Her research group has revealed important insights into how microstructure, synthesis conditions, and epitaxial strain modulate magnetic, electrical, and optical properties, providing pathways for designing next-generation spintronic and multifunctional materials. She has also collaborated internationally as a visiting scholar, enhancing global academic exchange and contributing to advanced experimental and theoretical studies in condensed-matter physics. Alongside her research, she has experience teaching core physics courses and guiding experimental training, reinforcing her commitment to both scientific discovery and academic mentorship.

Profile: Scopus

Featured Publications

Zhen, C., Zhang, X., Wei, W., Guo, W., Pant, A., Xu, X., Shen, J., Ma, L., & Hou, D. (2018). Nanostructural origin of semiconductivity and large magnetoresistance in epitaxial NiCo₂O₄/Al₂O₃ thin films. Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 51(14), 145308.

Zhen, C., Zhang, X., Wei, W., Guo, W., Pant, A., Xu, X., Shen, J., Ma, L., & Hou, D. (2017). Absence of Metallic Behavior in Epitaxial NiCo₂O₄ Thin Films: Role of Microstructural Disorder [Preprint]. arXiv.

Zhen, C., Liu, L., Lu, J., Feng, J., Hou, D., & others. (2025). Effect of trigonal distortion induced by strain on the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of CoV₂O₄. Applied Physics Letters, 127(7), 072401.

Li, X., Zhen, C., Liu, X., … & Hou, D. (2025). Effect of Jahn–Teller distortion on magnetic anisotropy of Co-doped NiFe₂O₄. Journal, Volume(Issue), pages.

Zhao, M., Guo, W., Wu, X., Ma, L., Song, P., Li, G., Zhen, C., Zhao, D., & Hou, D. (2023). Zero-field-cooling exchange bias up to room temperature in the strained kagome antiferromagnet Mn₃.₁Sn₀.₉. Materials Horizons, 10, 4597–4608.