Magnetically Frustrated Materials via Complex Oxide Heteroepitaxy

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Technical: This project is on spinel structure oxide thin film heterostructures and seeks to develop new materials through the stabilization of magnetic ground states in geometrically frustrated complex magnetic oxides via epitaxial strain. These magnetically frustrated materials do not exhibit a unique ground state but have a large degeneracy of ground states that gives rise to spin, charge or orbital frustration. These frustrated systems are particularly susceptible to small perturbations of parameters such as magnetic or electric field and strain. By synthesizing atomically precise, coherently strained epitaxial films of these materials, the research project aims to achieving novel magnetic ground states, potentially opening up a new class of materials of fundamental and technological interest. Understanding how changes in lattice symmetry induced by coherent epitaxial strain in geometrically frustrated systems induce the stabilization of magnetic ground states is at the core of this research project.Nontechnical: The project addresses basic research issues in a topical area of materials science. Success of the research can have significant impacts on not only oxide materials systems but also more broadly materials science and device physics. The educational goals of the project will be accomplished through the development of educational and training opportunities for graduate and undergraduate students in an interdisciplinary environment and through apprenticeships and modular materials science curricular program for high school students. An internship program with a local high school has been established by the PI several years ago and will continue to introduce high school students to materials, engineering and research.