CAREER: Education and Research on Nanoscale Spintronic Systems and Heterostructures

非技术摘要：现代材料科学允许制造层状磁性薄膜结构，其中生长条件被控制到原子尺度，这反过来又使制造新的和潜在有用的人工设计异质系统成为可能。该教师早期职业奖资助内布拉斯加大学林肯分校纳米级自旋电子系统和磁异质结构的教育和研究。特别强调了结合存储和逻辑功能的新型自旋电子学器件的制造。一般来说，自旋电子学利用了通过电子自旋控制电流的优势，这为传统的基于电荷的电流控制增加了新的自由度。在这里，新的功能是基于对界面磁化的电气控制以及由此产生的磁电和铁磁薄膜之间紧密接触的电气控制相互作用。最先进的薄膜生长技术被用于生产这些新型器件。此外，还探讨了人工磁性超结构热力学的基本方面。这包括温度、磁场和电场对新型超晶格层间相互作用的控制。这些研究已应用于磁制冷技术，并提供了迄今为止尚未开发的磁相。自旋电子学和纳米结构的研究和教育为这个领域提供了关键的资格，这个领域可能会彻底改变未来的信息技术，并对美国经济产生巨大影响。这一领域的复杂性要求新的教育方法。该奖项资助了一种使用交互式在线虚拟专家（“知识化身”）作为新关键元素的电子学习方法。化身是一个与用户面对面交流的交互式在线角色，与虚拟平台建立亲密关系。基于网络的、阿凡达引导的可视化、结合了幻灯片展示和动画的超文本以及虚拟的“动手”实验将提供一种互动的学习方法，并且是一个吸引公众对内布拉斯加州林肯大学的研究和教育感兴趣的现代平台。技术摘要：现代材料科学允许在纳米级甚至更低的尺度上控制层状结构的组成和形态，这反过来又使新的和潜在有用的人工设计异质系统的制造成为可能。该教师早期职业奖资助内布拉斯加大学林肯分校纳米级自旋电子系统和磁异质结构的教育和研究。特别强调了结合存储和逻辑功能的新型自旋电子学器件的制造。它们的功能是基于利用分子束外延生长的磁电/铁磁交换耦合薄膜对交换偏置异质系统中界面磁化的电气控制。此外，还探讨了人工磁性超结构热力学的基本方面。这包括温度、磁场和电场对反铁磁超晶格层间交换的控制。这些研究的目的是在人工磁热异质结构中产生非常大的熵变，并在人工反铁磁体中控制交错场，从而提供迄今为止尚未探索的磁相变。自旋电子学和纳米结构的研究和教育为未来技术的挑战提供了关键的资格。这一领域的复杂性要求新的教育方法。该奖项资助了一种使用交互式在线虚拟专家（“知识化身”）作为新关键元素的电子学习方法。化身是一个与用户面对面交流的交互式在线角色，与虚拟平台建立亲密关系。基于网络的、阿凡达引导的可视化、结合了幻灯片展示和动画的超文本以及虚拟的“动手”实验将提供一种互动的学习方法，是一个吸引公众对UNL研究和教育兴趣的现代平台。

Non-Technical Abstract:Modern materials science permits manufacturing of layered magnetic thin film structures where growth conditions are controlled down to the atomic scale, which in turn enables fabrication of new and potentially useful artificially designed heterosystems. This Faculty Early Career Award funds education and research on nanoscale spintronic systems and magnetic heterostructures at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Special emphasis is laid on the fabrication of novel spintronics devices combining memory and logical functions. In general, spintronics takes advantage from the control of electric currents via the electron spin which adds a new degree of freedom to the conventional charge based current control. Here, new functionality is based on the electric control of the interface magnetization and the resulting electrically controlled interaction between magnetoelectric and ferromagnetic thin films in close contact. State of the art technology of thin film growth is used to produce these novel devices. In addition, fundamental aspects of thermodynamics in artificial magnetic superstructures are explored. This includes the control of interlayer interaction in novel superlattices by temperature, magnetic and electric fields. These studies have applications in magnetic refrigeration technology and provide access to hitherto unexplored magnetic phases. Research and education in spintronics and nanostructuring offers key qualifications in a field which presumably will revolutionize future information technology and will have a huge impact on US economy. The complexity of this field demands new educational methods. This award funds an E-learning approach using interactive online virtual experts ("knowledge Avatars") as a new key element. An Avatar is an interactive online character communicating face to face with the user, creating an intimate relation with a virtual platform. Web-based, Avatar-guided visualizations, hypertexts combining power point shows and animations, and virtual "hands-on" experiments will provide an interactive approach to learning and are a modern platform to attract public interest in research and education at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Technical Abstract:Modern materials science permits control of the composition and the morphology of layered structures on the nanoscale or even below, which in turn enables fabrication of new and potentially useful artificially designed heterosystems. This Faculty Early Career Award funds education and research on nanoscale spintronic systems and magnetic heterostructures at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Special emphasis is laid on the fabrication of novel spintronics devices combining memory and logical functions. Their functionality is based on the electric control of the interface magnetization in exchange bias heterosystems using molecular beam epitaxial growth of magnetoelectric/ferromagnetic exchange coupled thin films. In addition, fundamental aspects of thermodynamics in artificial magnetic superstructures are explored. This includes the control of interlayer exchange in antiferromagnetic superlattices by temperature, magnetic and electric fields. These studies aim on the creation of very large entropy changes in artificial magnetocaloric heterostructures and the control of staggered fields in artificial antiferromagnets providing access to hitherto unexplored magnetic phase transitions. Research and education in spintronics and nanostructuring offers key qualifications for the challenges involved in future technology. The complexity of this field demands new educational methods. This award funds an E-learning approach using interactive online virtual experts ("knowledge Avatars") as a new key element. An Avatar is an interactive online character communicating face to face with the user, creating an intimate relation with a virtual platform. Web-based, Avatar-guided visualizations, hypertexts combining power point shows and animations, and virtual "hands-on" experiments will provide an interactive approach to learning and are a modern platform to attract public interest in research and education at UNL.