Materials World Network: New Functionality in Complex Magnetic Structures with Perpendicular Anisotropy

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TECHNICAL SUMMARY:New functionality in nanomagnetic devices requires control of magnetic order at the nanometer spatial scale and sub-nanosecond temporal scale. Many spin-based devices are still in their infancy and a thorough understanding of the underlying materials and electronic properties and their effect on device performance will be essential for future applications. With support from the Division of Materials Research, this Materials World Network project builds on a strong existing collaboration between the PIs Fullerton and Lomakin in the US and Ravelosona and Mangin in France and focuses on the study of magnetization manipulation in novel and complex magnetic heterostructures with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The goal of this project will be on understanding the fundamental physics of magnetically coupled nanostructured materials and their application for spintronic devices that will enable energy-efficient magnetic memory, magnetic oscillators and spin logic devices. In particular, the research team is interested in developing approaches for actively controlling the response of composite materials through a combined experimental and micromagnetic approach. Each materials system will be optimized to enable new phenomena such as low critical currents and ultra-fast reversal, resonant behavior at the nanoscale and strain modified domain wall motion. NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:New scientific discoveries in nano-magnetism are enabling a range of emerging nanotechnologies in the areas of data storage, memories, information processing and energy efficiency in computing. Combining nano-magnetism with advances in semiconductor science and technology, that have until recently ignored the spin of the electron, it gives rise to the field of spintronics. Spintronics is ushering in a range of new sensors, memories, logic devices and providing a spin-vision for the electronics of the future. This Materials World Network project has the transformative goal to provide the scientific underpinnings for next generation energy efficient, ultrafast, and ultrasmall spintronic devices. The project will promote active exchange of students, faculty and researchers between institutions and student researchers will be exposed to a broad range of materials challenges using novel and sophisticated equipment. A key component of the proposal is to foster collaborations between leading international, industrial, and national user-facility scientists. This will not only strengthen the scientific excellence and broaden the impact of the research, but it will also provide important educational and post-graduate career opportunities for both graduate and undergraduate students. This project will support innovative and sustainable partnerships between French and US research centers and institutions of higher education.