Petriina
Paturi
Areas of expertise
Biography
I am Professor of Experimental Solid State Physics and Director of Wihuri Physical Laboratory at the University of Turku. I received my MSc degree in Physics from the University of Turku in 1994 and completed my PhD on YBCO thin films and nanoparticles in 1998. Following postdoctoral appointments at Risø National Laboratory in Denmark and the University of Turku, I worked as an Academy Research Fellow from 2003 to 2009 before being appointed Professor in 2009.
Alongside my research career, I have held several academic leadership positions. I served as Head of the Department of Physics and Astronomy from 2012 to 2017, Vice-Dean of the Faculty of Science responsible for education from 2017 to 2024, and have been Dean of the Faculty of Science since 2025.
My research focuses on functional oxide materials, particularly manganites and high-temperature superconductors, as well as memristive devices and neuromorphic computing. My group develops novel electronic materials and devices for energy-efficient information processing using thin-film technologies, advanced structural characterization, and magnetic and electrical measurements.
Teaching
Teaching and learning have been central themes throughout my academic career. I have taught a wide range of courses in solid-state physics, superconductivity, magnetism, and materials physics at both BSc and MSc levels. In addition to classroom teaching, I have supervised numerous doctoral, master's, and bachelor's theses and have been actively involved in curriculum development and the continuous improvement of degree education.
I am particularly interested in student-centred and active learning approaches. In my teaching, I have employed methods such as flipped classrooms, pre-lecture assignments, and other practices designed to encourage student engagement and deeper understanding. I hold the full university pedagogical qualification.
Although my current responsibilities as Dean limit the amount of regular teaching I can undertake, I continue to teach the BSc seminar course for physics students and remain strongly committed to the development of high-quality university education.
Research
My research focuses on functional oxide materials and devices, particularly high-temperature superconductors, manganites, memristors, and neuromorphic computing. My group develops thin-film materials and electronic devices using a combination of materials synthesis, device fabrication, and advanced structural, magnetic, and electrical characterization methods.
Our current research spans two main areas. In superconductivity, we study current transport and quench behaviour in YBCO coated conductors, aiming to improve the understanding of stability and failure mechanisms in superconducting systems. In neuromorphic electronics, we develop Gd₁₋ₓCaₓMnO₃ (GCMO)-based memristors and neuromorphic systems for edge artificial intelligence. These technologies have the potential to enable highly energy-efficient computing and real-time data processing directly on the device, reducing dependence on cloud computing in demanding environments.