Effect of Interface Structure on Transport Properties of Metallic Multilayers

9314018巴克斯特这个项目将研究界面结构对各种金属多层膜中电子传输的影响。采用超高压电子束蒸发和磁控溅射两种方法制备具有不同界面有序度的多层材料。研究了结构变化对界面敏感输运性质的影响，如非磁性多层膜中电子扩散常数的各向异性和磁性体系中的巨磁电阻效应。界面结构的可控变化将通过热退火和原位X射线衍射研究相结合进行，并且这种变化将与相关的输运性质的变化相关联。这个项目涉及印第安纳大学和通用汽车研发中心的研究人员之间的合作。电子在两种不同材料界面上的行为在集成电路、磁记录和传感器等技术中扮演着重要的角色。现代技术使原子组成周期性交替的薄膜的生产成为可能，从而为研究界面的电子性质提供了理想的实验室。这种“多层材料”中大量的界面会导致它们的性质与相应的大块材料的性质有很大的不同。最近发现的巨磁电阻效应就是一个例子，它为开发新的磁传感器材料带来了巨大的希望。这类材料的未来发展将需要详细了解它们的电子性质如何取决于各层之间界面的原子结构。该项目结合了印第安纳大学和通用汽车研发中心的研究，致力于研究这一基础性和技术上的重要问题。***

9314018 Baxter This project will study the effects of interfacial structure on electron transport in a variety of metallic multilayers. Multilayered materials with varying degrees of interfacial order will be prepared using both UHV electron beam evaporation and magnetron sputtering. The effect of structural changes on interface sensitive transport properties such as the anisotropy of the electron diffusion constant in non-magnetic multilayers and the Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR) effect in magnetic systems will be studied. Controlled changes in the structure of the interface will be made by combining thermal annealing with in- situ X-ray diffraction studies, and such changes will be correlated with associated changes in the transport properties. This project involves a collaboration between researchers at Indiana University and the General Motors Research and Development Center. %%% The behavior of electrons at interfaces between two different materials plays an important role in technologies such as integrated circuits, magnetic recording, and sensors. Modern technology makes possible the production of thin films in which the atomic composition alternates periodically few atomic layers, thereby providing an ideal laboratory for studying the electronic properties of interfaces. The large concentration of interfaces in such "multilayered materials" can cause their properties to be quite different from those of the corresponding bulk materials. An example of this can be seen in the recently discovered Giant Magnetoresistance effect which holds great promise for the development of new magnetic sensor materials. Future development of such materials will require detailed understanding of how their electronic properties depend on the atomic structure of the interfaces between the individual layers. This project, which combines research at Indiana University and the General Motors Research and Development Center, is dedicated to the study of this fundamental an d technologically important question. ***