Electron Spin Effects in Semiconductor Nanostructures

该方案集中于三个领域的半导体纳米系统的制备和物理研究：解理边缘过生长和自组装工艺制备的II-VI磁性半导体量子结构；III-V基铁磁半导体薄膜和多层膜；以及在II-VI/III-V半导体界面形成的磁性纳米结构。预计拟议的计划将具有智力优势和广泛影响，远远超出其特定的科学目标，通过对自旋电子材料武器库的总体贡献，以及通过在尖端半导体制造技术和多功能材料设计方面培训研究生和本科生，从而为美国在美国工业界、国家实验室和学术界广泛需求的领域培养人力技能。此外，巴黎圣母院的团队已经有了出色的合作记录(目前与40多个其他机构合作)，要么提供研究样本，要么进行联合实验。随着对自旋电子材料的需求继续增长，这种传播和分享成果的活动预计将进一步加强。目前，在当代电子学中，有一场激烈的运动，目的是探索电子自旋的作用--除了它的电荷--着眼于增加电子微芯片设备的功能，特别是在计算领域。本提案通过使用最先进的技术来制备和表征一系列新颖的半导体纳米结构来解决这一问题，其中电子自旋的作用通过引入磁性离子而被放大。通过培训研究生和本科生在尖端半导体制造技术以及多功能材料设计方面的培训，拟议中的计划预计将产生广泛影响，远远超出其近期目标，因为美国工业界、国家实验室和学术界对这些材料科学领域的技能有着广泛的需求。此外，巴黎圣母院的团队已经有了出色的合作记录(目前与40多个其他机构合作)，要么提供研究样本，要么进行联合实验。随着对自旋电子材料的需求继续增长，这种传播和分享成果的活动预计将进一步加强。

The proposal focuses on fabrication and physical studies of semiconductor nano-scale systems in three areas: II-VI magnetic semiconductor quantum structures fabricated both by cleaved edge overgrowth and by the process of self-assembly; III-V-based ferromagnetic semiconductor thin films and multilayers; and magnetic nanostructures which form at II-VI/III-V semiconductor interfaces. The proposed program is expected to have intellectual merit and broad impact far beyond its specific scientific goals by contributing to the arsenal of spin-electronics materials generally; and by training graduate and undergraduate students in cutting-edge semiconductor fabrication techniques and in designing multi-functional materials, thus contributing to U.S. manpower skills in areas which are in wide demand in U.S. Industry, National Laboratories, and Academia. Additionally, the Notre Dame team already has an exceptional track record of collaborations (currently with more than forty other institutions) either by providing research samples or by carrying out joint experiments. This activity of dissemination and sharing of results is expected to further intensify as the demand for spin-electronic materials continues to grow.There is currently an intense worldwide movement in contemporary electronics to explore the role of electron spin - in addition to its charge - with an eye on increasing the functionality of electronic microchip devices, particularly in the realm of computation. The present proposal addresses this issue by employing state-of-the-art techniques to fabricate and characterize a series of novel semiconductor nano-scale structures in which the role of electron spin is magnified by the incorporation of magnetic ions. By training graduate and undergraduate students in cutting-edge semiconductor fabrication techniques as well as in designing multi-functional materials, the proposed program is expected to have broad impact far beyond its immediate goals, since skills in these areas of materials science are in broad demand in U.S. Industry, National Laboratories, and Academia. Additionally, the Notre Dame team already has an exceptional track record of collaborations (currently with more than forty other institutions) either by providing research samples or by carrying out joint experiments. This activity of dissemination and sharing of results is expected to further intensify as the demand for spin-based electronic materials continues to grow.