Phase-change materials and chalcogenides
Phase-change materials and chalcogenides is a research topic within Materials Chemistry. Science Explorer counts 23k research works in it since 1950. 13.5% of them reached the world's top 10% most cited for their field and year.
This cluster of papers focuses on phase change materials, particularly their application in data storage and photonics. It covers topics such as non-volatile memory, chalcogenide glasses, optical properties, crystallization mechanisms, nanowire memory, and low-power switching. The research aims to advance the understanding and utilization of phase change materials for future universal memory and high-performance photonic applications.
- Phase Change Materials
- Non-Volatile Memory
- Chalcogenide Glasses
- Photonic Applications
- Crystallization Mechanism
- Nanowire Memory
- Optical Properties
- Rewritable Storage
- Low-Power Switching
- Universal Memory
- Research works
- 23k fractional, since 1950
- In the world top 10%
- 3.2k per year above
- Top-10% rate
- 13.5% share of its works in the world top 10%
- Growth, 2013–17 → 2018–22
- +1% the tick is no change
Which countries lead Phase-change materials and chalcogenides research?
By volume, China and India publish the most (717 and 284 works in 2022–2025).
By volume, 2022–2025
- 1 China 717 works
- 2 India 284 works
- 3 United States 254 works
- 4 Russia 143 works
- 5 France 127 works
- 6 Japan 111 works
- 7 South Korea 87 works
- 8 Germany 84 works
- 9 Egypt 57 works
- 10 Italy 44 works
How concentrated that is
The same countries as shares of everything the list above accounts for. A node where two countries do two thirds of the work and one spread evenly across twelve read alike as a ranking and not at all alike here.
Shares of the rows listed above, not of the whole node.
Which institutions lead Phase-change materials and chalcogenides research?
By volume in 2022–2025, Chinese Academy of Sciences publishes the most Phase-change materials and chalcogenides research, followed by Ningbo University and Huazhong University of Science and Technology.
By volume, 2022–2025
- 1 Chinese Academy of SciencesChina 32 works
- 2 Ningbo UniversityChina 30 works
- 3 Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyChina 25 works
- 4 Centre National de la Recherche ScientifiqueFrance 20 works
- 5 University of Chinese Academy of SciencesChina 15 works
- 6 University of PardubiceCzechia 14 works
- 7 Tohoku UniversityJapan 13 works
- 8 Banaras Hindu UniversityIndia 13 works
- 9 Indian Institute of Science BangaloreIndia 12 works
- 10 Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information TechnologyChina 12 works
Who are the leading researchers in Phase-change materials and chalcogenides?
The most-cited researchers publishing on Phase-change materials and chalcogenides include J. Häfner, Akihisa Inoue and Mercouri G. Kanatzidis.
- 1 J. Häfner Austria 11k citations
- 2 Akihisa Inoue Japan 4.7k citations
- 3 Mercouri G. Kanatzidis United States 4.3k citations
- 4 Koblar Alan Jackson United States 4k citations
- 5 N. F. Mott United Kingdom 3.4k citations
Ranked by citations received across their whole record, among researchers with at least three works on this topic.
Where is Phase-change materials and chalcogenides research done?
The largest centres of Phase-change materials and chalcogenides research in 2022–2025 are Beijing (China), Shanghai (China), Wuhan (China) and Seoul (South Korea). Among places with at least 20 works in it, it is an unusually large share of all research in Baku and Ningbo.
Largest cities, 2022–2025
Where it is the local speciality
- BakuAZ · 33.0 works18×
- NingboCN · 36.1 works12×
Location quotient: how much more of its research is in Phase-change materials and chalcogenides than the world average.
Where is the best place to study Phase-change materials and chalcogenides?
Among universities, judged by research, King Khalid University, Ningbo University and Indian Institute of Science Bangalore score highest, combining excellence, specialisation, size, growth and international reach. Research strength is one signal when choosing where to study; it does not measure teaching.
One dot per university in the table below. The upper left is the interesting corner: small places doing unusually strong work.
| # | University | Score | Top 10% | Specialisation | Works | Growth |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | King Khalid UniversitySaudi Arabia | 64.8 | 8.5% | 10.5× | 9 | +276.7% |
| 2 | Ningbo UniversityChina | 61.1 | 8.9% | 23.5× | 30 | -7.2% |
| 3 | Indian Institute of Science BangaloreIndia | 54.9 | 14.4% | 12.7× | 12 | -37.9% |
| 4 | RWTH Aachen UniversityGermany | 48.6 | 13.1% | 6.8× | 12 | +56.1% |
| 5 | Huazhong University of Science and TechnologyChina | 48.2 | 8.8% | 6.5× | 25 | +12.8% |
| 6 | University of Chinese Academy of SciencesChina | 47.1 | 15.7% | 3.8× | 15 | +72.1% |
| 7 | Shenzhen UniversityChina | 46.4 | 16.9% | 6.1× | 11 | -26.2% |
| 8 | University of PardubiceCzechia | 45.0 | 2.9% | 100.1× | 14 | +33.9% |
| 9 | Xi'an Jiaotong UniversityChina | 43.4 | 20.4% | 2.8× | 11 | +40.4% |
| 10 | Ural Federal UniversityRussia | 41.3 | 1.3% | 12.0× | 8 | +138.2% |
Universities only. Score blends excellence (30%), specialisation (25%), size (20%), growth (15%) and international reach (10%), 2015–2022; growth compares 2010–14 with 2015–19.
Is Phase-change materials and chalcogenides research growing?
Output in 2018–2022 was 1% higher than in 2013–2017, peaking in 2025. The fastest-growing topics are Phase-change materials and chalcogenides.
The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.
Which topics inside it are moving
Growth and decline on one axis around a shared zero. Two lists side by side hide the thing that matters: whether the growth dwarfs the decline, or the other way round.