a) Diluted Magnetic Semiconductors (DMS): Exploration of defect-mediated ferromagnetism and spin polarization phenomena in DMS nanostructures (SnO₂, GaN, ZnO) for spintronic device applications.
b) Oxide Nanostructures and Functional Ceramics: Synthesis and characterization of magnetic and luminescent hydroxyapatite, triboluminescent ceramics, and metal oxide nanomaterials for biomedical and sensing technologies.
c) Advanced Characterization Techniques: Use of scanning electron microscopy (SEM), cathodoluminescence (CL), electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) for the investigation of point defects, vacancy distributions, and optoelectronic properties in nanomaterials.
d) Quantum and Spin Transport: Study of magnetotransport and spin injection in nanowires and thin films, including the design of prototype spintronic devices such as strain-tunable spin valves.
e) Multifunctional Heterostructures and Nanocomposites: Fabrication of vertically aligned nanocolumns and core-shell architectures via pulsed laser deposition (PLD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), and physical vapor deposition (PVD).
f) Collaborative and Applied Materials Science: Engagement in international multidisciplinary collaborations to integrate nanomaterials in biomedical, quantum, and energy-related technologies.

1. “Fabricación de dispositivos espintrónicos a base de semiconductores magnéticos diluidos y el efecto de sus vacancias en la polarización del espín electrónico vía polarones magnéticos ligados”.

DGAPA-UNAM

No. IN104724

 Enero 2024 – 2027

 

2. “Osteoinductive scaffolds based on magnetic and luminescent hydroxyapatite nanostructures for use as bone regeneration sensors”.

UCMEXUS. 

No.19137

Julio 2019 – 2023

 

3. “Origen del ferromagnetismo en semiconductores magnéticos diluidos (DMS) nanoestructurados asociado a defectos puntuales”.

Ciencia Básica Conacyt

No. 284667

Enero 2018 – 2022

 

4. “Polarización del espín electrónico en nano-hilos semiconductores y fabricación de dispositivos espintrónicos”. 

DGAPA-UNAM

IN101917

Enero 2017 – 2019

 

5. “Síntesis y propiedades físico-químicas de hydroxiapatitas luminiscentes para uso como sensores de degradación de sistemas óseos in vitro”

DGAPA UNAM

IN104414

Proyecto Enero 2014 – 2016

 

6. “Nanohilos de ZnO y GaN. Síntesis y caracterización de su estructura electrónica, luminiscencia y conducción eléctrica”.

DGAPA UNAM

IN102111

2010 – 2013.

 

7. “Nanohilos semiconductores con brecha de energía ancha. Crecimiento, estudio de su estructura electrónica y propiedades luminiscentes”.

Conacyt – ciencia básica. Convocatoria 2008

No. 102519

2019 – 2012.

 

8. “Estudio de las propiedades ópticas y electrónicas de defectos e impurezas en nanoestructuras de ZnO y SnO2 por catodoluminiscencia y espectroscopía túnel”.

DGAPA UNAM

IN107208

2007 – 2010.

 

9. “Microscopía y espectroscopía de tunelamiento en nanovarillas de ZnO”.

Conacyt – ciencia básica.

No. J47505-F

2005 – 2008.

Ph.D. Students

1. Jonhatan Aarón Mendoza Rodarte
«Novel Spintronic Devices Based on GaN Doping.»
Co-supervisor. Graduate Program in Materials Science and Engineering, UNAM.
2020–2024

2. David Montalvo Ballesteros
«Contribution of Point Defects to Ferromagnetism in Fe- and Cr-Doped SnO₂ Nanowires.»
Graduate Program in Nanosciences, CICESE.
2018–2024

3. Carolina Bohorquez Martínez
«Influence of Point Defects on the Optical and Electronic Properties of Mn- and Zr-Doped ZnO Thin Films.»
Co-supervisor. Graduate Program in Nanosciences, CICESE.
2018–2023

4. Cindy Johana Valencia Caicedo
«Second Harmonic Generation in Metal–Semiconductor Nanostructures.»
Co-supervisor. Graduate Program in Optics, CICESE.
2018–2023

5. Verónica Huerta Guerra
«Influence of Crystal Defects on the Optoelectronic Properties of Hydroxyapatite Nanobelts.»
Graduate Program in Nanosciences, CICESE.
2018–2023

6. Gabriela Guzmán Navarro
«Diluted Magnetic Semiconductors Based on GaN.»
Graduate Program in Materials Physics, CICESE.
October 2016

7. Alfredo González Carrazco
«Study of Optical and Electronic Properties of ZnO Nanostructures via Cathodoluminescence and Tunneling Spectroscopy.»
Graduate Program in Materials Physics, CICESE.
June 2010

________________________________________
Master’s Students

1. Karime Carrera Gutierrez
«Electronic Properties of Hydroxyapatite Doped with Magnetic Impurities.»
Graduate Program in Materials Science and Engineering, UNAM.
UNAM Medal “Alfonso Caso” – Graduated with Honors, 2019

2. Aarón Mendoza Rodarte
«Cathodoluminescence of GaN Nanostructures Doped with Magnetic Impurities.»
Graduate Program in Materials Science and Engineering, UNAM.
Graduated with Honors, 2019

3. Emmanuel de la Cruz Piña
«Optical Properties of Nanostructured Surfaces with High Refractive Index.»
Graduate Program in Physical Sciences, UNAM.
2017–2018

4. Juan Araiza Liera
«Fabrication of a Photodiode Based on ZnO and ZnO:Ag Thin Films.»
Graduate Program in Nanosciences, CICESE.
2017–2018

5. Verónica Huerta Guerra
«Cathodoluminescence of Rare-Earth-Doped Hydroxyapatite Nanowires.»
Graduate Program in Nanosciences, CICESE.
2016–2018

6. Carolina Bohorquez Martínez
«Spin Polarization in ZnO:Mn Nanowires.»
Graduate Program in Nanosciences, CICESE.
2016–2017

7. David Montalvo Ballesteros
«Low-Temperature Cathodoluminescence of Mn-Doped SnO₂ Nanowires.»
Graduate Program in Materials Science and Engineering, UNAM.
Degree awarded: February 10, 2016

8. Luz A. Zavala Sánchez
«Synthesis and Luminescent Properties of Rare-Earth-Doped Hydroxyapatites via Cathodoluminescence.»
Graduate Program in Materials Science and Engineering, UNAM.
Graduated with Honors, November 19, 2015

9. Marco A. González Angulo
«Fabrication of Solar Cells Based on ZnO Nanowires.»
Graduate Program in Materials Physics, CICESE.
Degree awarded: September 17, 2015

10. Aldo Alan Guerrero Salmerón
«Electronic and Luminescent Properties of ZnO Nanowires via Cathodoluminescence and Tunneling Spectroscopy.»
Graduate Program in Materials Science and Engineering, UNAM.
Degree awarded: March 2013

11. Gabriela Guzmán Navarro
«Physical Vapor Deposition and Cathodoluminescence of Gallium Oxide and Gallium Nitride Nanowires.»
Graduate Program in Physical Sciences, UNAM.
UNAM Medal “Alfonso Caso” – Graduated with Honors, February 2011

12. Arturo Susarrey Arce
«Optical Properties of Rare-Earth-Doped ZnO Nanostructures via Cathodoluminescence.»
Graduate Program in Materials Science and Engineering, UNAM.
Graduated with Honors, August 2008

________________________________________
Bachelor’s Students

1. Patsy Arely Miranda Cortez
«Electronic Structure of Graphene and Graphene Oxide Deposited on ZnO (0001) via STM and STS.»
Bachelor’s in Nanotechnology and Nanostructures, UNAM.
Graduated with Honors, 2022

2. Maria Teresa Valenzuela López
«Fabrication of a ZnO Nanowire-Based Schottky Photodiode.»
Bachelor’s in Nanotechnology and Nanostructures, UNAM.
2017–2018

3. Karime Carrera
«Synthesis and Characterization of Optical and Electrical Properties of ZnO:N Nanobelts.»
2017–2018

4. Aarón Mendoza
«Synthesis and Characterization of GaN:Cr-Based DMS Nanowires.»
2017–2018

5. Susana Flores
«Density of States in Graphene Supported on GaN via STM and STS.»
2017–2018

6. Aldo Alan Guerrero Salmerón
«Crystal Defects in Boron- and Europium-Doped ZnO Nanorods via Cathodoluminescence.»
Faculty of Sciences, School of Physics, UABC.
March 2011

White emission in 3D-printed phosphor microstructures.  

Winczewski, M. Herrera, H. Gardeniers, A. Susarrey.  

Chemical Communications 59 (2023) 3095

https://doi.org/10.1039/d2cc06953a

 

Enabling high-quality transparent conductive oxide on 3D printed ZrO2 architectures through atomic layer deposition. 

1. Arriaga, J. Winczewski, M. Herrera, E. Murillo, C. Rosero, N. Pineda, L. Cholula, I De León, H. Gardeniers, A. Susarrey, E. Martínez

Applied Surface Science 636 (2023) 157796

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apsusc.2023.157796   

 

Influence of single-ionized oxygen vacancies on the generation of ferromagnetism in SnO2 and SnO2:Cr nanowires.

1. Montalvo, V. Gómez, W. de la Cruz, S. Camacho, I. Rivero, K. Carrera, V. Orozco, C. Santillán, J. Matutes, and M. Herrera

Applied Physics A 129 (2023) 537

https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-023-06790-z

 

Additive Manufacturing of 3D Luminescent ZrO2:Eu3+ Architectures

J Winczewski, M Herrera, C Cabriel, I Izeddin, S Gabel, B Merle, A Susarrey, H Gardeniers

Adv. Optical Mater. (2022), 2102758

doi.org/10.1002/adom.202102758 

 

Spectroscopic Ellipsometry Study on Tuning the Electrical and Optical Properties of Zr-Doped ZnO Thin Films Grown by Atomic Layer Deposition

1. Bohorquez, H. Bakkali, J. J. Delgado, E. Blanco, M Herrera, M. Domínguez

ACS Applied Electronic Materials 4 (2022) 925

https://doi.org/10.1021/acsaelm.1c01026

 

Additive Effect of inert ambient annealing on structural and defect characteristics of coaxial N-CNTs@ZnO nanotubes coated by atomic layer deposition. 

H.A. Borbon, D. Domínguez , M. Herrera, J.M. Romo, R.C. Carrillo, F.F. Castillon, O.E. Contreras, G. Soto, H. Tiznado. 

Ceramics International 48 (2022) 29829 

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ceramint.2022.06.245

 

Morphology control of tantalum carbide nanoparticles through dopant addition

1. Ren, R. Tran, S. Lee, A. Bandera, M. Herrera, X. Li, S. Ping-Ong and O. Graeve.

Journal of Physical Chemistry C 125 (2021) 10665- 10675

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.1c01387

 

Effect of Oxygen Vacancies on the Mechanoluminescence Response of Magnesium Oxide.

1. Novitskaya, A. Manheim, M. Herrera, O. A. Graeve

Journal of Physical Chemistry C 121 (2021) 854 – 864

https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.jpcc.0c07674

 

Photoluminescence up-conversion and cathodoluminescence in quaternary CdxZnyOγSδ nanoparticles embedded on zeolite

1. E. Jaime-Acuña, R. E San-Juan Farfán, H. Villavicencio, M. Herrera, O. Raymond-Herrera

Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids 159 (2021) 110004

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jpcs.2021.110004

 

A combined optical and morphological study of 2,5-bis(dodecanoxy) phenyleneethynylene-butadiynes films for oLEDs

B Kinzeeva, G Turlakov, I Moggio, E Arias, G Rodríguez, M Herrera, T Cooper, M Ottonelli, R F Ziolo.

Materials Science and Engineering B 263 (2021) 114779

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.mseb.2020.114779

 

 

Defect-related luminescence properties of hydroxyapatite nanobelts

1. Huerta, P. Fernández, V. Gómez, O. A. Graeve and M. Herrera

Applied Materials Today 21 (2020) 100822

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmt.2020.100822

 

Defect-related luminescence properties of hydroxyapatite nanobelts

1. Huerta, P. Fernández, V. Gómez, O. A. Graeve and M. Herrera

Applied Materials Today 21 (2020) 100822

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.apmt.2020.100822

 

Hole-mediated ferromagnetism in GaN doped with Cu and Mn.

1. Guzmán, D. Maestre and M. Herrera

Journal of Material Science: Materials in Electronics 31 (2020)

https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10854-020-04070-7

 

Conduction mechanisms in ZnO nanowires based Schottky diode grown under an electric field.

T Valenzuela and M Herrera

Journal of Applied Physics 126 (2019) 124501

https://doi.org/10.1063/1.5117171