Acquisition of a SQUID Magnetometer for Research and Education in Magnetic Materials

这笔赠款支持购买超导量子干涉器件(SQUID)磁强计。该仪器满足了目前对多功能磁强计的需求，将由化学工程和材料科学部(CEMS)的四个小组使用。该仪器将用于一系列项目，包括新型磁性薄膜和异质结构、磁性半导体、分子固体和磁性纳米结构的磁性表征。这项研究是关于包含多种类型的磁性材料的结构，从有机磁体到常规半导体和铁磁金属，以各种构型(磁性半导体纳米颗粒、单晶和薄膜异质结构)。正是这种将磁性材料结合到新型器件结构中的工程，在产生有用的磁性器件方面取得了如此成功，例如巨磁电阻(GMR)多层膜、自旋阀、基于隧道结的磁性随机存取存储器(MRAM)和集成的磁性金属/半导体结构。这里的目的是获得一台主力仪器，将磁性表征能力提升到CEMS的材料制造和表征专业知识的水平，同时加强这一领域的教学和教育。这对于为未来的自旋电子器件开发材料的富有挑战性的工作至关重要。拟议工作的更广泛影响主要在于对磁性材料跨学科领域的学生进行教育和培训，这一领域的基本实验技能在许多领域都很受欢迎。这些研究人员将来自化学工程和材料科学专业的本科生、研究生和研究生。特别是，本科生将通过利用UROP(本科生研究机会计划)和REU(本科生研究经验)计划积极参与研究。

This grant supports the purchase of a Superconducting Quantum Interference Device (SQUID) magnetometer. The instrument satisfies the current need for a versatile magnetometer that will be used by four groups within the Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science (CEMS). The instrument will be employed in an array of projects including magnetic characterization of novel magnetic thin films and heterostructures, magnetic semiconductors, molecular solids, and magnetic nanostructures. This research is on structures that incorporate magnetic materials of many types, from organic magnets to conventional semiconductor and ferromagnetic metals, in a variety of configurations (magnetic semiconductor nanoparticles, single crystals and thin film heterostructures). It is this kind of engineering, where magnetic materials are incorporated into novel device structures, which has been so successful in terms of yielding useful magnetic devices such as Giant MagnetoResistance (GMR) multilayers, spin-valves, tunnel junction based Magnetic Random Access Memory (MRAM) and integrated magnetic metal/semiconductor structures. The intention here is to acquire a workhorse instrument that elevates magnetic characterization capabilities to the level of the materials fabrication and characterization expertise at CEMS, while simultaneously strengthening teaching and education in this area. This is essential to the challenging work of developing materials for spin-electronic devices of the future. The broader impact of the proposed work lies primarily in the education and training of students in the interdisciplinary field of magnetic materials, an area in which the basic experimental skills are highly sought-after in many fields. These researchers will be from both Chemical Engineering and Materials Science programs at the undergraduate, graduate and post-graduate levels. In particular, undergraduate students will become actively involved with the research by taking advantage of the UROP (Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program) and REU (Research Experience for Undergraduates) programs.