High quality epitaxial thin films of actinide oxides, carbides, and nitrides: Advancing understanding of electronic structure of f-element materials

•Synthesis of epitaxial thin films of actinide oxide, carbide, and nitrides is reviewed.•Electronic structure data including ARPES and optical band gaps is presented.•Hybrid DFT models are validated and understanding of f-electron behavior is advanced.•Potential applications in nuclear energy and environmental fate of the actinides.