General Lab Information

AM Milinda Abeykoon

Physicist, PDF Beamline Lead Scientist, Hard X-ray Scattering & Spectroscopy Program, National Synchrotron Light Source II

AM Milinda Abeykoon

Brookhaven National Laboratory

National Synchrotron Light Source II
Bldg. 741
P.O. Box 5000
Upton, NY 11973-5000

(631) 344-2663
aabeykoon@bnl.gov

Preferred Gender Pronouns (PGPs): He, him, his

Milinda is the lead scientist of the NSLS-II PDF beamline. He Joined the Photon Science Division in 2013. After earning his Ph.D. in 2007, Milinda completed his Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Texas Center for Superconductivity at University of Houston. He joined the Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department (CMPMSD) at Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) in 2009, and conducted his research on structure-property relationships in strongly correlated materials. During his appointment at the CMPMSD, Milinda also developed protocols to obtain PDFs from electron diffraction data acquired at the Center for Nanomaterials at BNL. After joining NSLS-II, he led the design and construction of the PDF beamline.

Milinda’s research focuses  on (1) Magnetic field Induced structural modulations in strongly correlated oxide systems and/or quantum materials. (2) Theory AI/ML assisted synthesis to accelerate correlated electron material discovery. 

Expertise | Education | Appointments | Publications | Highlights


Expertise

Pair Distribution Function, Total Scattering, Powder Diffraction, Strongly correlated systems, quantum materials.

Education

Ph.D. in Physics - University of Houston, USA

M.Sc. in Physics - University of Houston, USA

B.Sc (Hons) in Physics - University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka

Professional Appointments

2018 - Present    Physicist/Lead Scientist, PDF (28-ID-1) beamline, NSLS-II 

2013 - 2015    Associate Physicist, Photon Science Directorate, Brookhaven National Laboratory

2009 - 2013    Postdoctoral Fellow, Condense Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory/Columbia University

2007 - 2009    Postdoctoral Fellow, Texas Center for Superconductivity, University of Houston

Selected Publications

  • Abeykoon M, Dooryhee E, Drakopoulos M, Ghose S, Zhong Z (2020) Characterizing Hidden Structures at NSLS-II: Strongly Correlated Electron Systems, Functional Ceramics, Batteries, and Beyond. Synchrotron Radiation News 33:17–23. doi: 10.1080/08940886.2020.1841492
  • Straus DB, Guo S, Abeykoon AM, Cava RJ (2020) Understanding the Instability of the Halide Perovskite CsPbI 3 through Temperature-Dependent Structural Analysis. Advanced Materials 32:2001069. doi: 10.1002/adma.202001069
  • Mazzone DG, Dzero M, Abeykoon AMM, et al (2020) Kondo-Induced Giant Isotropic Negative Thermal Expansion. Physical Review Letters 124:. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.124.125701
  • Liu Y, Abeykoon M, Petrovic C (2020) Critical behavior and magnetocaloric effect in VI3. Physical Review Research 2:. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevresearch.2.013013
  • Abeykoon AMM, Božin ES, Yin W-G, et al (2013) Evidence for Short-Range-Ordered Charge Stripes Far above the Charge-Ordering Transition inLa1.67Sr0.33NiO4. Physical Review Letters 111:. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.111.096404
  • Liu Y, Abeykoon M, Stavitski E, Attenkofer K, Petrovic C (2019) Magnetic anisotropy and entropy change in trigonal Cr5Te8. Physical Review B. doi: 10.1103/physrevb.100.245114
  • Knox KR, Abeykoon AMM, Zheng H, et al (2013) Local structural evidence for strong electronic correlations in spinel LiRh2O4. Physical Review B 88:. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevb.88.174114
  • Abeykoon AMM, Malliakas CD, Juhás P, et al (2012) Quantitative nanostructure characterization using atomic pair distribution functions obtained from laboratory electron microscopes. Zeitschrift für Kristallographie 227:248–256. https://doi.org/10.1524/zkri.2012.1510
  • Abeykoon AMM, Hu H, Wu L, et al (2015) Calibration and data collection protocols for reliable lattice parameter values in electron pair distribution function studies. Journal of Applied Crystallography 48:244–251. https://doi.org/10.1107/s1600576715000412
  • Nguyen LT, Abeykoon M, Tao J, et al (2020) Long-range and local crystal structures of the Sr1−xCaxRuO3 perovskites. Physical Review Materials 4:. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevmaterials.4.034407

Research Highlights

Lab Resolves Origin of Perovskite Instability

New Evidence to Aid Search for Charge 'Stripes' in Superconductors

Defects in Magnetic Nanoparticles May Improve Cancer Treatment

Quantum Effect Triggers Unusual Material Expansion

Perovskite Instability

Uncovering Hidden Local States in a Quantum Material

AM Milinda Abeykoon

Brookhaven National Laboratory

National Synchrotron Light Source II
Bldg. 741
P.O. Box 5000
Upton, NY 11973-5000

(631) 344-2663
aabeykoon@bnl.gov

AM Milinda's Links