An Ultrafast THz Light Source for the Study of Correlated Materials at the Atomic Scale

用于研究原子尺度相关材料的超快太赫兹光源

• 批准号: RTI-2017-00552
• 负责人: Burgess, Jacob
• 金额: $ 10.93万
• 依托单位: University of Manitoba
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Research Tools and Instruments
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2016-01-01 至 2017-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=616707
• 关键词: Ultrafast; THz; Light; Source; Study

In modern condensed matter physics much attention is focused on understanding and technological development of materials where complex interactions between atoms and electronics create unique magnetic or electronic properties. The sheer complexity of these systems makes determining the nature of the underlying interactions a great challenge. However, imaging the response of each atom in a sample to a stimulus provides the details necessary to build an understanding of the fundamental physics underlying these exciting materials. This motivates a long standing scientific goal: making an ultrafast movie at the atomic scale. This proposal seeks to construct a multi-purpose ultrafast terahertz (THz) light source. This light source is the heart of an extremely advanced instrument, a terahertz coupled scanning tunneling microscope (THz-STM). Such a microscope is capable of studying dynamics in electronic systems down to the scale of individual atoms on time scales as fast as 1 tenth of one trillionth of a second. Thus it realizes dream measurements which allow a direct approach to solving some of the most important outstanding problems in modern physics. The particular microscope that this laser powers will be the most advanced instrument of its type. It incorporates magnetic field to tune magnetic samples, and specialized microwave electronic connections that enable a huge range of additional experiments. The laser also enables optical spectroscopy and magnetometery that make spatially averaged ultrafast measurements. These conventional measurements provide context for the results of the new THz-STM, broaden the experience of students, and build new experimental tools for the University of Manitoba research community. The rich background in magnetism at the University of Manitoba makes experiments targeting magnetic materials an effective focus area. Ultrafast imaging is particularly important for observing changes in sample magnetization, i.e. Magnetodynamics. Manipulating magnetodynamics, and understanding energy dissipation in magnetic systems is of critical importance to magnetic computing applications, a research field known as spintronics. Atomic scale movies offer a new viewpoint into the fundamental processes behind damping and magnetic oscillations, providing invaluable feedback in the development of energy efficient spintronic devices. Beyond the scope of magnetism, this instrument will be capable of making a substantial contribution to outstanding challenges and open questions in areas ranging from solar energy generation to high temperature superconductivity. Collaboration among Canadians involved in other areas will help to bring this instrument to its full potential going forward. Moreover, students of this lab will be part of a new generation of Canadian research scientists ready to carry on Canada’s already illustrious history in ultrafast science.

在现代凝聚态物理学中，人们的注意力主要集中在对材料的理解和技术发展上，在这些材料中，原子和电子之间的复杂相互作用产生了独特的磁性或电子特性。这些系统的复杂性使得确定底层交互的性质成为一个巨大的挑战。然而，成像样品中每个原子对刺激的反应提供了必要的细节，以建立对这些令人兴奋的材料的基础物理的理解。这激发了一个长期的科学目标：在原子尺度上制作超快电影。 该方案旨在构建一种多用途的超快太赫兹（THz）光源。这种光源是一种非常先进的仪器，太赫兹耦合扫描隧道显微镜（THz-STM）的核心。这样的显微镜能够研究电子系统中的动力学，小到单个原子的尺度，时间尺度快到万亿分之一秒的十分之一。因此，它实现了梦的测量，允许直接解决现代物理学中一些最重要的悬而未决的问题。 这种激光驱动的特殊显微镜将是同类型中最先进的仪器。它结合了磁场来调整磁性样品，以及专门的微波电子连接，可以进行大量的额外实验。该激光器还可以实现光谱学和磁力测量，从而进行空间平均的超快测量。这些传统的测量方法为新的THz-STM的结果提供了背景，拓宽了学生的经验，并为马尼托巴大学的研究社区建立了新的实验工具。 马尼托巴大学丰富的磁学背景使针对磁性材料的实验成为有效的重点领域。超快成像对于观察样品磁化的变化，即磁动力学，特别重要。操纵磁动力学和理解磁系统中的能量耗散对磁计算应用至关重要，这一研究领域被称为自旋电子学。原子尺度电影为阻尼和磁振荡背后的基本过程提供了一个新的视角，为节能自旋电子器件的发展提供了宝贵的反馈。 在磁性范围之外，该仪器将能够为从太阳能发电到高温超导等领域的突出挑战和开放问题做出重大贡献。参与其他领域的加拿大人之间的合作将有助于使这一工具在今后充分发挥潜力。此外，该实验室的学生将成为新一代加拿大研究科学家的一部分，他们将继续加拿大在超快科学方面已经辉煌的历史。