Control of magnetic frustration for energy efficient technologies

点击翻译按钮获取中文摘要

Magnetic materials underpin a huge number of modern technologies, such as computer hardware, transport systems and refrigeration devices to name a few. Until recently these technologies have almost exclusively relied on ferromagnets owing to their large magnetisation which is easy to sense and manipulate. Antiferromagnets on the other hand have zero magnetisation, resulting in their discoverer (Louis Néel) describing them as "Interesting but useless". However, advances in the last decade have led to a renaissance of antiferromagnetism. Applications of novel antiferromagnetic technologies have recently been discovered that vastly outperform ferromagnets, for example in ultrafast computing, energy conversion, energy harvesting and solid-state refrigeration. Beyond this, the renewed understanding of antiferromagnetism is of fundamental interest as the intrinsic properties that underpin their functionality are analogous to those of elementary particles. Building on these discoveries, this project aims to develop and understand new antiferromagnetic materials with enhanced functional properties, with particular emphasis on decarbonising technologies such as caloric refrigeration and spintronics.Objectives(i) The project will synthesise novel antiferromagnetic materials that are magnetically 'frustrated' - their magnetic interactions cannot be satisfied, which in turn can enhance their functional properties. (ii) The project will characterise these materials using advanced techniques at national synchrotron and neutron facilities and using the electron microscopes in the Kelvin Nano-Characterisation Centre at the University of Glasgow. This analysis will guide the synthesis of these materials in order to optimise their 'frustration' and functionality. (iii) Optimised materials will be selected to grow thin films in order to determine their potential use in applications such as caloric heating and cooling or antiferromagnetic spintronics.NoveltyThe project will discover novel antiferromagnetic materials for use in low carbon technologies in the areas of spintronics and caloric materials. Up to now, spintronics has been dominated by ferromagnetic materials; antiferromagnetic materials offer a number of advantages and are predicted to improve the efficiency, density and speed of current devices. This project will develop new materials to realise this potential. Antiferromagnets have very recently also shown great promise as caloric materials, yet only a handful of materials are known and there is significant scope to improve their functional properties. This project will aim to develop new materials with properties that will challenge conventional hydrocarbon refrigerants.Alignment and StrategyThe need for decarbonisation of technologies in order to meet our net-zero goals is clear. This project works towards this goal through the development of advanced functional materials that takes advantage of novel physics. As such, the project is aligned to national strategies associated with decarbonisation as well as EPSRC priority areas in engineering net zero and the physical sciences.CollaborationsThe project is supervised by Dr David Boldrin, Lecturer in the Materials and Condensed Matter Physics group. The project will utilise the University of Glasgow's Kelvin Nanocharacterisation Centre as well as a number of national facilities within Europe; Diamond Light Source, ISIS Neutron and Muon Facility and the Institut Laue-Langevin in Grenoble, France.