New frontiers in nanoscale physics: creating dynamic spintronics devices for facilitating novel spintronic and microwave technologies

纳米物理新前沿：创建动态自旋电子器件以促进新型自旋电子和微波技术

• 批准号: RGPIN-2014-04239
• 负责人: Hu, CanMing
• 金额: $ 3.5万
• 依托单位: University of Manitoba
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2014-01-01 至 2015-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=566392
• 关键词: New; frontiers; nanoscale; physics; creating

Spin dynamics in nano-structured devices exhibits remarkable properties, as it links an intriguing triangle formed by the interplay between spin, charge, and the photon in low-dimensional systems. Through the advances in materials science, nanotechnology, and wave physics, the past century has witnessed an amazing path along which research activities on this subject have been transformed from the macroscopic phenomena of electromagnetism to the microscopic and nanoscopic physics of dynamic spintronics. This subject underpins many scientific and engineering disciplines, ranging from semiconductor physics and magnetism, to photonics, spintronics, and microwave technologies. Research in this frontier of condensed matter physics also addresses demanding socio-economic needs, since the utilization of spin current and spin dynamics is considered as one of the most promising approaches for the advancement of information and communication technologies (ICT). The goals of my research program are to build on the systematic work done in my lab during the past funding period, to address the leading questions in the physics of dynamic spintronics, and to use the obtained new knowledge to create novel spintronics devices. My focus is to use the novel spintronic devices to innovate microwave imaging technology, to study the physics of the spin current, and to explore the new field of quantum strong coupling of spin and photons. To achieve these goals, my students and I will do innovative dynamic spintronics experiments by applying advanced experimental tools developed in my lab. Our unique advantage includes: (i) our ability to electrically detect spin dynamics in nanostructures with high sensitivity, (ii) our capability of directly probing both the amplitude and phase of spin resonances, (iii) our experience of fabricating advanced nano-spintronics devices, and (iv) the capacity of the research infrastructure established in my lab with a vast set of advanced tools. We will capitalize on my group's recent success to study ferromagnetic metals, ferromagnetic insulators, heavy metals (with large spin-orbit coupling), as well as hybrid devices with tailored functions made of combinations of these materials. Examples of intriguing topics that we will investigate in this funding period include: (i) dynamic generation of spin current in an insulator (the spin pumping), (ii) heat harnessing and thermal spin torque effect (spin caloritronics), (iii) medical and industrial applications of spintronic microwave imaging (recently invented in my lab). Furthermore, inspired by the 2012 Nobel Prize in physics for the ground-breaking experimental methods that enable studying the fundamental interaction between light and matter in quantum systems, we will create and develop on-chip cavity spintronic devices, to investigate the new physics of quantum strong-coupling between trapped microwave photons and spin dynamics in a ferromagnetic insulator. Our research will have a significant impact in the rapidly advancing field of dynamic spintronics. Existing industrial collaborations with researchers at BlackBerry®, Everspin Technology, and Cancer Care Manitoba will allow rapid translation of achievements in my lab into proof-of-concept and prototype devices for practical and commercial use. Students involved in my research program will be uniquely trained with skills highly desirable in the strategically important electronic and ICT sectors of the Canadian economy.

纳米结构器件中的自旋动力学表现出显著的特性，因为它连接了低维系统中自旋、电荷和光子之间相互作用形成的有趣三角形。通过材料科学、纳米技术和波动物理学的进步，过去的一个世纪见证了一条令人惊叹的道路，沿着这条道路，对这一主题的研究活动已经从电磁学的宏观现象转变为动态自旋电子学的微观和纳米物理学。这门学科是许多科学和工程学科的基础，从半导体物理学和磁学到光子学、自旋电子学和微波技术。在凝聚态物理学这一前沿领域的研究也满足了社会经济的迫切需要，因为利用自旋电流和自旋动力学被认为是促进信息和通信技术发展的最有前途的方法之一。我的研究计划的目标是建立在我的实验室在过去的资助期间所做的系统性工作，以解决动态自旋电子学物理学中的主要问题，并利用获得的新知识来创建新的自旋电子器件。我的工作重点是利用新型自旋电子器件创新微波成像技术，研究自旋电流的物理，探索自旋与光子的量子强耦合新领域。为了实现这些目标，我和我的学生将通过应用我实验室开发的先进实验工具进行创新的动态自旋电子学实验。我们的独特优势包括：（i）我们以高灵敏度电检测纳米结构中的自旋动力学的能力，（ii）我们直接探测自旋共振的振幅和相位的能力，（iii）我们制造先进的纳米自旋电子器件的经验，以及（iv）在我的实验室中建立的具有大量先进工具的研究基础设施的能力。我们将利用我的团队最近的成功来研究铁磁金属，铁磁绝缘体，重金属（具有大的自旋轨道耦合），以及由这些材料组合而成的具有定制功能的混合器件。我们将在此资助期内研究的有趣课题包括：（i）绝缘体中自旋电流的动态产生（自旋泵），（ii）热利用和热自旋扭矩效应（自旋热电子学），（iii）自旋电子微波成像的医学和工业应用（我的实验室最近发明的）。此外，受2012年诺贝尔物理学奖的启发，我们将创建和开发片上腔自旋电子器件，以研究铁磁绝缘体中捕获的微波光子和自旋动力学之间的量子强耦合的新物理。我们的研究将在快速发展的动态自旋电子学领域产生重大影响。与BlackBerry®、Everspin Technology和Cancer Care马尼托巴的研究人员的现有工业合作将使我的实验室成果能够快速转化为概念验证和原型设备，用于实际和商业用途。参与我的研究计划的学生将接受独特的培训，掌握加拿大经济中具有重要战略意义的电子和信息通信技术部门所需的技能。