Development of in situ Electric field and Electric current capabilities at ISIS

小角中子散射（SANS）是测定纳米结构的最重要的技术之一，被广泛应用于材料科学、物理学、化学和生物学等学科。该申请寻求一个学生奖学金，以开发在低温恒温器或熔炉内同时施加电场或电流与外加磁场的能力，同时研究磁skyrmions，拓扑保护的磁纹理，具有低能耗计算的潜力。我们建议证明，这些环境条件的组合是至关重要的基础研究的形成和操纵的磁skyrmions实现的设备。Zoom是一种多功能的高强度SANS仪器，配备了可变温度和外加磁场功能，并且在我们观察Skyrmion晶格的非常小的角度衍射图案特征所需的角度范围（或波矢范围）内至关重要。为了在更接近工作条件的情况下了解系统，ISIS目前缺乏的，也是Zoom的许多潜在用户所需要的，是电场能力。Cu_2OSeO_3是一种绝缘的磁电材料，其skyrmion相稳定性可以通过施加电场来增强，因此被认为是一种有吸引力的材料。此外，施加电场已被证明成核skyrmions从竞争的锥形状态在散装晶体或竞争的螺旋状态在薄薄片。对于MnSi和FeGe等金属样品，我们还将提供施加小电流的能力，该电流导致与skyrmion晶格运动相关的skyrmion衍射图案的旋转。这提供了一种测量纯材料和掺杂材料中skyrmion速度的方法，这是未来设备的关键参数。在ISIS为Larmor和Zoom上的SANS实验提供电场和电流能力以及其他技术的关键将是控制软件与环境管理的集成。博士生将在他们的博士学位的第二年期间从事硬件和软件集成工作，同时他们也在ISIS工作。作为这个博士项目的一部分，我们还希望利用电场和电流能力，并将新方法应用于一系列具有高度兴趣和影响的现有问题。

Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) is one of the most important techniques for nanostructure determination, being utilized in a wide range of scientific disciplines, such as materials science, physics, chemistry, and biology. This application seeks a studentship to develop the capabilities of applying electric fields or electric currents simultaneously with an applied magnetic field within a cryostat or furnace while studying magnetic skyrmions, topologically protected magnetic textures with promising potential for low energy consumption computing. We propose to demonstrate that the combination of these environmental conditions is vital to fundamental studies of the formation and manipulation of magnetic skyrmions towards the realization of devices. Zoom is a versatile high-intensity SANS instruments equipped with variable temperature and applied magnetic field capabilities, and crucially operates in the angular range (or wavevector range) that we require to observe the very small angle diffraction pattern characteristic of the skyrmion lattice. In order to understand the systems in conditions closer to the working ones, what ISIS is currently lacking and is required by many potential users of Zoom, is an electric field capability. Cu2OSeO3 is seen as attractive material for applications as it is an insulating magnetoelectric whose skyrmion phase stability can be enhanced by applying electric fields. Furthermore, applying an electric field has been shown to nucleate skyrmions from either the competing conical state in bulk crystals or the competing helical state in thin lamellae. For metallic samples such as MnSi and FeGe we will also provide the capability of applying small electrical currents which cause a rotation of the skyrmion diffraction pattern linked to the motion of the skyrmion lattice. This provides a way of measuring the skyrmion velocity in pure and doped materials, a key parameter for future devices. Crucial to the use of providing electric field and current capabilities at ISIS for SANS experiments on Larmor and Zoom, as well as other techniques will be the integration of control software with the environmental management. The PhD student will work on both the hardware and software integration during year 2 of their PhD whilst they are based at ISIS. As part of this PhD project, we also wish to make use of the electric field and current capabilities and apply new methods to a range of existing problems of high interest and impact.