NIRT: Nanomagnetism in Complex Magnetic Materials and Devices

这项NIRT提案的重点是开发新的复杂材料，用于研究自旋极化结构在纳米尺度上的表面和界面磁性。自旋极化材料边界处的磁性性质是一个尚未完全理解的基本问题。这种边界的纳米级控制可以促进自旋极化器件在存储器和逻辑应用中的实现和性能的提高。迄今为止，基于简单材料系统的自旋极化器件已经有助于提供对这类器件的基本理解。为了充分了解这种结构并提高器件性能，我们必须研究基于复杂材料的器件，我们可以通过化学和结构自由度同时调整几种特性。我们提出的磁性氧化物和硫系材料和器件计划将在固态化学，材料科学以及器件物理和工程领域，特别是自旋极化材料边界的磁学领域产生重大的智力影响。我们已经组建了一个由5名PI组成的团队，他们将提供一种综合的方法来理解边界处的磁性：(i)新型体氧化物和硫族化物材料及其薄膜的合成和开发，（ii）中尺度和纳米尺度自旋极化器件结构的制造，（iii）自旋极化材料表面和界面的局部电子和磁性表征，以及（iv）自旋极化结构的理论建模。我们的跨学科团队由来自材料科学与工程、化学和凝聚态物理领域的四名实验人员和一名理论家组成，他们非常适合研究基于复杂材料的设备中的自旋输运，这些材料的磁性和电子性质可以通过结构和化学来控制。这个多学科研究项目包括一个强大的教育组成部分，将对本科生、研究生和高中生产生广泛的影响。它不仅将介绍具有各种背景和兴趣的学生到技术上充满活力的磁学领域，而且将为研究生和本科生的未来职业提供实验和分析技能。此外，由于我们相信与高中生的接触是教育和激励学生未来科学追求的重要手段，我们将在五个研究小组中提供暑期实习机会和参观机会，并开发一个工程模块，以增强现有的高中生探究式学习计划。

This NIRT proposal focuses on the development of new complex materials for the study of surface and interface magnetism at the nanoscale in spin polarized structures. The nature of magnetism at boundaries of spin polarized materials is a fundamental issue that has yet to be fully understood. Nanoscale control of such boundaries may facilitate the implementation and improve performance of spin polarized devices in memory and logic applications. Thus far spin polarized devices that are based on simple materials systems have been instrumental in providing a basic understanding of this class of devices. In order to develop a full understanding of such structures and to improve device performance, we must study devices based on complex materials in which we can tune several properties at the same time through chemical and structural degrees of freedom.Our proposed program on magnetic oxide and chalcogenide materials and devices will have significant intellectual impact in the areas of solid state chemistry, materials science as well as device physics and engineering and more specifically magnetism at the boundaries of spin polarized materials. We have assembled a team of five PI's that will provide an integrated approach to understanding magnetism at boundaries: (i) synthesis and development of novel bulk oxide and chalcogenide materials and their thin film counterparts, (ii) fabrication of mesoscale and nanoscale spin polarized device structures, (iii) local electronic and magnetic characterization of the surfaces and interfaces of the spin polarized materials, and (iv) theoretical modeling of spin polarized structures. Our interdisciplinary team, of four experimentalists and a theorist from the fields of materials science and engineering, chemistry and condensed matter physics, is well positioned to study spin transport in devices based on complex materials whose magnetic and electronic properties can be controlled through structure and chemistry. This multidisciplinary research program includes a strong educational component that will have broad impact on undergraduate, graduate as well as high school students. It not only will introduce students with a variety of backgrounds and interests to the technologically vibrant field of magnetics but also will provide experimental and analytical skills for future careers of the graduate and undergraduate students. Moreover, since we believe that outreach to high school students is an important vehicle for educating and motivating students for future scientific pursuits, we will provide summer internship opportunities and tours in the five research groups as well as develop an engineering module to enhance an existing inquiry-based learning program for high school students.