MRI: Acquisition of Vibrating Sample Magnetometer for Materials Research and Education

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This Major Research Instrumentation grant provides funding for the acquisition of a vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) used for the characterization of magnetic materials. A VSM is used to determine the magnetic hysteresis curve, i.e. the relation between the magnetic field and the magnetic moment. The hysteresis curve provides the magnetic response of the material under an applied field and is often referred to as the magnetic fingerprint. The VSM allows the measurements of the magnetic moment both parallel and perpendicular to the applied magnetic field. This unique instrumental feature is crucial to the understanding of magnetic properties as magnetic moment and field are vector quantities that have in addition to a magnitude also a direction. The instrument is used to study thin film and powder materials that are currently being investigated at Texas State University. The VSM acquisition enhances the research in at least 8 different academic groups across 5 different programs. Research projects impacted by the new VSM include studies of (1) new permanent magnetic materials to be applied in wind turbines and generators, (2) two-dimensional (2D) materials for electrochemical energy storage, (3) nanocomposite materials with superior mechanical properties, and (4) novel metal oxide thin films for applications in sensors, actuators, and new non-volatile memory devices. The VSM instrument will enhance education and research within Texas State which is a Minority-serving Institution with a significant population of 1st generation students and students from underrepresented groups. The VSM further enable development of a meaningful collaboration with a regional start-up company, Urban Mining Texas State University proposes to acquire a high field vector vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) for the characterization of magnetic materials including powders, thin films and bulk magnetic materials. This vector VSM allows the study of the magnetization and magnetic anisotropy over a wide temperature, field magnitude, and field direction range. The fast temperature and field control and the simplicity and robustness of tool enables the use of the new VSM as a work-horse magnetic characterization tool and effectively implement it in Texas State University undergraduate and graduate curriculum. The VSM acquisition enhances the research in at least 8 different academic groups across 5 different programs. Proposed research includes studies of the magnetic properties of: defect clusters in RRAM transition metal oxides, low dimensional systems, specifically hydroxides and oxyhydroxides that are being studied for applications in batteries, hard magnetic materials including NdFeB permanent magnets, novel spintronic devices and the role of oxygen vacancies, thin ferromagnetic films grown by MBE, RF sputtered BFO films for application in novel sensors and applications, and printed magnetic thin films for use in meta-materials.