Scanning probe lithography for spintronic and plasmonic nanodevices

为了探索材料中的新现象，通常需要在无法进行批量测量的长度尺度上探测物理特性（电，光，磁和结构）。这一点尤其重要，例如，在磁性和等离子体研究中，当薄的多层膜在纳米长度上形成图案时，会出现新的共振激发、耦合和相互作用。探测光、自旋极化电流和磁序之间的相互作用，为高能效的数据存储、下一代计算（包括生物启发的神经网络）和近场太赫兹发射器提供了新的方法。虽然将样品加工成纳米级器件的方法很常见，但此类研究的进一步进展需要以新的方式选择性地控制薄膜特性的技术。特别是，虽然它是相对容易的图案成一个特定的形状在纳米长度的薄膜，它往往是难以单独改变其物理性质在类似scale.In这个项目中，我们将探索使用一种新的制造技术，称为热扫描探针光刻，在纳米尺度上定制的物理性质。该项目将开发用于制造高质量纳米级磁性和光学纳米器件的工具包。通过选择性地调整由多层常见磁性和等离子体材料（包括Au、Co和NiFe）制成的阵列的性质-控制形状、成分和界面，我们将研究复杂纳米结构岛的性质，阐明岛间和岛内相互作用对磁性和等离子体阵列中基态的作用。探索这些长度尺度上的磁能项之间的竞争可以导致完全非常规的磁态，我们将在阐明动态磁激发，自旋极化电流和等离子体响应之间相互作用的物理现象时进行探索。

To explore new phenomena in a material, it is often necessary to probe the physical properties (electrical, optical, magnetic and structural) on lengthscales inaccessible to bulk measurement. This is particularly important, for example, in magnetism and plasmonics research, where new resonant excitations, couplings and interactions emerge when thin multilayer films are patterned on the nanometre lengths. Probing the interaction between light, spin-polarised currents and magnetic order on such lengthscales offers new approaches to energy efficient data storage; next-generation computation, including bio-inspired neural networks; and near-field terahertz emitters.While methods are commonplace for processing samples into nanoscale devices, further progress in such investigations requires techniques which selectively control film properties in new ways. In particular, while it is relatively easy to pattern a film into a specific shape on nanometre lengths, it is often difficult to separately alter its physical properties on a similar scale.In this project we will explore the use of a novel fabrication technique, termed thermal scanning probe lithography, to tailor physical properties at the nanoscale. The project will develop a toolkit for the fabrication of high-quality nanoscale magnetic and optical nanodevices. By selectively tuning the properties - controlling shape, composition and interfaces - of arrays fabricated from multilayers of common magnetic and plasmonic materials, including Au, Co and NiFe, we will investigate the properties of complex nanostructured islands, elucidating the role of inter- and intra-island interactions on groundstate in magnetic and plasmonic arrays. Exploring the competition between magnetic energy terms at these lengthscales can lead to entirely unconventional magnetic states, which we will explore as we elucidate the physical phenomena underpinning the interaction between dynamic magnetic excitation, spin-polarised electrical currents and plasmonic response.