EAGER: manipulating spin dynamics in thionated perylene diimide organic semiconductors: towards organic spin caloritronic devices

非技术概述摩尔定律是提高电子设备速度和效率的主要策略，它依赖于缩小晶体管尺寸，以便更多的晶体管适合特定区域，但技术正在接近尺寸规模，要进一步实现这一策略，只能在制造成本大幅增加的情况下完成。从根本上说，需要新的战略来适应社会日益增长的技术需求。基于自旋的固态系统(自旋电子学)代表了这样一种全新的战略。与传统电子学不同的是，电子的电荷被用来在晶体管中存储和处理信息，而自旋电子学则使用电子的自旋来携带数字信息。该奖项由材料研究部的固态和材料化学项目支持，首席研究员合成了新型n型有机半导体，这些半导体是基于自旋的计算技术的良好候选者。由于它们具有很强的自旋相关特性，它们是高效的自旋晶体管材料。此外，研究人员还研究了器件的废热是否也可以转化为自旋电流，从而提高自旋晶体管器件的整体效率。一项创新的教育和推广计划是该研究项目的一部分，该计划将与能源转换和储存相关的双周实践研究经验纳入盐湖城地区一所当地城市高需求学校的科学课程。此外，当地高中的贫困学生有机会在暑期到首席研究员的实验室进行研究。技术概述有机电子学领域的最新进展表明，通过调整sp2杂化主干系统的分子排列或通过氧化掺杂有机分子形成p型或n型半导体，可以极大地改善有机半导体的物理和化学性能。尽管p型有机半导体作为潜在的热电材料和自旋电子材料已经得到了很大的开发，但n型有机半导体由于其低的电子亲和势而落后。作为该奖项的一部分，该奖项由材料研究部的固态和材料化学计划支持，主要研究人员合成了基于茂二亚胺的亚硫化反应的新型n型有机半导体。此外，还阐明了电子结构、形态、本征和外在掺杂以及自旋对这些二芳二亚胺n型有机半导体的热电和自旋电子性质的影响的基本机理。这些研究通过详细阐述自旋-轨道耦合、电子-声子耦合和固态晶体化学对硫代环二亚胺热电和自旋电子材料性能的影响，在材料设计和基本物理现象的调制方面取得了新的突破。一项创新的教育和推广计划是该研究项目的一部分，该计划将与能源转换和储存相关的双周实践研究经验纳入盐湖城地区一所当地城市高需求学校的科学课程。此外，当地高中的贫困学生有机会在暑假期间在首席调查员实验室进行研究。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Non-technical SummaryMoore's Law, the dominant strategy for improving the speed and efficiency of electronic devices, relies on scaling down the transistor dimensions, so that more of them fit in a defined area, but technology is approaching a size scale in which pursuing this strategy further can only be done with an enormous increase in fabrication cost. Fundamentally new strategies are needed to accommodate society's increasing technological demands. Spin-based solid-state systems (spintronics), represent such a fundamentally new strategy. Unlike conventional electronics, where the charge of electrons is used to store and process information in transistors, spintronics uses the spin of electrons to carry digital information. With this award, which is supported by the Solid State and Materials Chemistry program in the Division of Materials Research, the principle investigator synthesizes novel n-type organic semiconductors that are good candidates for spin-based computing technologies. Due to their strong spin-dependent properties they are efficient spin-transistor materials. Additionally, the researchers investigate, if waste heat from a device may also be converted into spin currents thus increasing the overall efficiency of spin-transistor devices. An innovative education and outreach program, which includes bi-weekly hands-on research experiences related to energy conversion and storage into the science curriculum of a local urban high-need school in the Salt Lake City area, is part of this research project. Additionally, underprivileged students from local high-schools are given the opportunity to pursue research over the summer in the principle investigator's labs.Technical SummaryRecent advances in the field of organic electronics have demonstrated that the physical and chemical properties of organic semiconductors can be vastly improved by tuning the molecular arrangement of the sp2 hybridized backbone system or by oxidatively doping the organic molecule to form either a p-type or n-type semiconductor. Although p-type organic semiconductors have been largely explored as potential thermoelectric and spintronic materials, n-type organic semiconductors have fallen behind due to their low electron affinities. As part of this award, which is supported by the Solid State and Materials Chemistry program in the Division of Materials Research, the principle investigator synthesizes novel n-type organic semiconductors based on the thionation of perylene diimides. Additionally, fundamental mechanistic understanding of the influence of electronic structure, morphology, intrinsic and extrinsic doping, and spins on the thermoelectric and spintronic properties of these perylene diimide n-type organic semiconductors is being elucidated. The studies investigate new breakthroughs in both materials design and modulation of fundamental physical phenomena by carefully elucidating the role of spin-orbit coupling, electron-phonon coupling, and solid-state crystal chemistry on the performance of thionated perylene diimide thermoelectric and spintronic materials. An innovative education and outreach program, which includes bi-weekly hands-on research experiences related to energy conversion and storage into the science curriculum of a local urban high-need school in the Salt Lake City area, is part of this research project. Additionally, underprivileged students from local high schools are given the opportunity to pursue research over the summer in the principle investigator's labs.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.