GOALI: GHz-THz Dynamics of Nanostructured Ferroelectric Thin Films

非技术描述：我们的项目旨在通过控制这些材料生长的表面形状，了解如何在近原子尺寸上控制铁电材料的特性。铁电材料有可能取代铁磁材料作为下一代存储介质，因为它们可以在比磁性材料更小的尺度上进行控制。通过在波纹基板上拉伸这些材料，将有可能显著改变其性能。最先进的成像技术能够解决铁电“比特”的切换速度，这在根本上和技术上都是重要的。这项研究的一个重要组成部分将是与匹兹堡希捷研究中心的合作。参与该项目的研究生和本科生将与希捷公司的科学家和工程师合作，希捷公司正在积极寻找替代磁性硬盘驱动器的替代技术。利用铁电模板材料的科学和材料进步有巨大的潜力，它可以用于超高密度存储应用。与阿贡国家实验室的研究人员合作将使学生广泛接触跨学科合作研究。技术描述：Levy博士将研究在纳米尺度上模式化或模板化的铁电薄膜的晶格和畴动力学。目的是确定纳米边界条件对纳米畴结构、开关速度、微波响应和软声子模式的影响。这些边界条件将在氧化铁电体生长期间或之后通过电子束诱导蚀刻或聚焦离子束图像化来控制。Levy开发了多种跨越GHz-THz范围的高空间和时间分辨率光学探针，将提供有关铁电软模式和极性动力学的局部信息。为了帮助当前和未来的学生学习与拟议研究相关的许多先决概念，Levy教授将与Singh教授（也在匹兹堡大学）合作，Singh教授一直在开发高级本科和研究生水平学科的教程，如量子力学。Singh教授将与Levy教授和他的学生一起开发相关主题的教程，例如晶体对称的概念、张量符号、扫描探针显微镜的原理和纳米制造技术。这些教程的明确目标是通过提供脚手架和支持，减少学生，特别是妇女和少数民族学生进入科学和工程学科时经常遇到的障碍。这项研究的一个重要组成部分将是与匹兹堡希捷研究中心的合作。参与该项目的研究生和本科生将与希捷公司的科学家和工程师合作，希捷公司正在积极寻找替代磁性硬盘驱动器的替代技术。利用铁电模板材料的科学和材料进步有巨大的潜力，它可以用于超高密度存储应用。与阿贡国家实验室的研究人员合作将使学生广泛接触跨学科合作研究。

NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Our project aims to understand how to control the properties of ferroelectric materials at near-atomic dimensions, by controlling the shape of the surfaces on which these materials grow. Ferroelectric materials have the potential to replace ferromagnetic materials for next-generation storage media, because they can be controlled at smaller scales than their magnetic counterparts. By stretching these materials over corrugated substrates, it will be possible to alter their properties significantly. State-of-the-art imaging techniques capable of resolving switching of ferroelectric "bits" at speeds that are fundamentally and technologically important. An important component of this research will be collaboration with Seagate Research in Pittsburgh. Graduate and undergraduate students working on this project will collaborate with scientists and engineers at Seagate, which is actively looking for alternative technologies to replace magnetic hard disk drives. There is enormous potential to capitalize on scientific and materials advances in templated ferroelectric materials, which could be used for ultrahigh-density storage applications. Collaborations with researchers at Argonne National Laboratory will give students a broad exposure to interdisciplinary collaborative research. TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Dr. Levy will investigate lattice and domain dynamics of ferroelectric thin films that have been patterned or templated at nanoscale dimensions. The goal is to determine how nanodomain structure, switching speeds, microwave response and soft phonon modes are influenced by nanoscale boundary conditions. These boundary conditions will be manipulated either during growth of oxide ferroelectrics or afterwards through electron-beam induced etching or focused ion beam patterning. Levy has developed a variety of high spatial and temporal resolution optical probes spanning the GHz-THz range that will provide local information about the ferroelectric soft mode and polar dynamics. To assist current and future students in learning many of the prerequisite concepts related to the proposed research, Prof. Levy will collaborate with Prof. Singh (also at the University of Pittsburgh) who has been developing tutorials in advanced undergraduate and graduate-level subjects such as quantum mechanics. Prof. Singh will work with Prof. Levy and his students to develop tutorials on relevant topics, e.g., notions of crystal symmetry, tensor notation, principles of scanning probe microscopy, and nanofabrication techniques. An explicit aim for these tutorials is to reduce barriers often encountered by students, especially women and minorities, entering science and engineering disciplines by providing scaffolding and support. An important component of this research will be collaboration with Seagate Research in Pittsburgh. Graduate and undergraduate students working on this project will collaborate with scientists and engineers at Seagate, which is actively looking for alternative technologies to replace magnetic hard disk drives. There is enormous potential to capitalize on scientific and materials advances in templated ferroelectric materials, which could be used for ultrahigh-density storage applications. Collaborations with researchers at Argonne National Laboratory will give students a broad exposure to interdisciplinary collaborative research.