Design and Growth of Si-based Spintronic Materials

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The objective of this research is to design and grow new Si-based spintronic materials,namely Mn doped digital ferromagnetic and trilayer heterostructures, and Mn/Si superlattices. These materials are expected to exhibit high spin polarization, high Curie temperature, and large magnetoresistance. The approaches include first principles calculations to design optimum structural configurations and investigate effects of defects and imperfections; synthesis using hybrid magnetron sputtering/e-beam evaporation and molecular beam epitaxy techniques; and structural and magnetic characterizations.Intellectual Merits:This project has several intellectual merits: design and realization of a new class of Sibased spintronic materials; an in-depth understanding of the magnetic interactions and origins of ferromagnetism in the proposed material systems; prescriptions for tuning magnetic coupling between the transition metal atoms in Si-based quantum structures by co-doping holes; and calculations and measurements of magneto-transport properties in proposed heterostructures.Broader Impact:This project will have broad impacts on technological advancements, and on educationand training. The proposed materials provide a new paradigm for fabricating spintronic devices such as sensors, switches, memory and other integrated chips with superior performance than the current metal-based devices. Integration with the mature Si-technology, the backbone of high-tech industries, will greatly speed up the development and employment of such devices. The technological advancements will have profound social and economical impacts. Students will be exposed to extensive knowledge of electronic and magnetic properties of spintronic materials through combined theoretical and experimental efforts. The training will help to shape them into future academic and industrial leaders and sustain the U.S. leadership in spintronics.