CAREER: Rare Earth Oxide-based Diluted Magnetic Dielectrics

* 非技术摘要 * 半导体技术的最新进展促进了许多尺寸不断减小的新电子器件的实现。 手持袖珍电脑（掌上电脑），超薄手机与互联网，音乐播放器，iPhone和微型相机是利用和采用技术发展的进步的几个例子。然而，随着典型组件尺寸接近纳米级，进一步小型化变得越来越困难。人们相信，器件功能的任何进一步改进都需要从传统的电子学过渡到一种被称为“自旋电子学”的全新体系。“电子器件利用电子的电荷，而典型的自旋电子器件则利用电子的电荷和自旋（一种磁性）。由于这一额外的属性，自旋电子器件有望比传统的基于电荷的电子器件更快、更小、消耗更少的功率。”然而，自旋电子器件不能简单地利用简单的半导体来制造。自旋电子器件的实际实现在很大程度上依赖于两类新材料的发展，即稀磁半导体（DMS）和稀磁电介质（DMD）。这些材料使得除了利用电子的电荷之外，还可以利用电子的自旋。虽然已经对DMS材料进行了大量的工作，但是对DMD材料进行的工作很少。这个CAREER项目将专注于发现新的DMD材料家族，这些材料可能会导致自旋电子学的创新。教育计划将为研究生，本科生和k-12学生和教师开发许多机会。暑期课程将为k-12教师提供更多的理由在课堂上以富有感染力的热情教授科学。向少数民族学生介绍科学和工程学的拟议工作将产生有意义的社会影响。技术摘要 * 犹他州大学教师早期职业发展（CAREER）项目的综合研究和教育目标是发现新的稀磁介质（DMD）家族，这将导致自旋电子学的创新，并通过科学展览，实验室综合课程和实践活动向更广泛的受众传播材料科学和工程。自旋电子元件运作中最关键的一步是在铁磁-半导体界面注入自旋极化载子。最近的研究表明，用磁性原子稀释掺杂半导体或半导体可以在实现高自旋注入效率方面提供突破。这导致了广泛的努力，探索在几个系统中诱导室温铁磁性的可能性。这一领域的大部分工作仍然集中在稀磁半导体上。对DMD的研究很少。 本项目将开展一项广泛的研究计划，探索通过稀释掺杂过渡金属元素在稀土氧化物基高k超导体中诱导室温铁磁性的可能性。该项目的教育部分将向更广泛的受众传播材料科学和工程的基础知识。以下具体任务将进行：（一）开发互动材料科学展品的犹他州科学中心博物馆，（二）启动夏季研究计划的K-12教师和学生，（三）和本科生和研究生的研究创造一个协作和跨学科的环境。

****NON-TECHNICAL ABSTRACT****Recent advances in semiconductor technology have facilitated the realization of a host of new electronic devices with ever-decreasing dimensions. Handheld pocket computers (palm-tops), ultra-thin cell phones with internet, iPods, iPhones and micro-cameras are a few examples that exploit and adopt the advances in the technological development. However, as the typical component dimensions approach the nanometer scale, further miniaturization becomes increasingly difficult. It is believed that any further improvement in device functionality will require a transition from the conventional electronics to an altogether new regime known as "Spintronics." While the electronic devices utilize the charge of electrons, the typical spintronic devices exploit both charge as well as the spin (a magnetic attribute) of an electron. Because of this additional attribute, spintronic devices are expected to be faster, smaller and consume less power than the conventional charge-based electronic devices. However, the spintronic devices can not be fabricated simply by making use of the simple semiconductors. The practical realization of spintronic devices heavily rely on the development of two new classes of materials namely, Dilute Magnetic Semiconductors (DMS) and Dilute Magnetic Dielectrics (DMD). These materials make it possible to utilize the electron's spin in addition to its charge. Though a significant amount of work has been performed on DMS materials, very little has been done on DMD materials. This CAREER project will be focused on discovering new families of DMD materials that potentially can lead to innovation in spintronics. Educational program will develop numerous opportunities for graduate, undergraduate and k-12 students and teachers. Summer program will provide k-12 teachers more reasons to teach science with contagious enthusiasm in the classroom. Proposed work on introducing science and engineering to minority students will have meaningful societal impact.**** TECHNICAL ABSTRACT****The integrated research and education goal of this Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) project at the University of Utah is to discover new families of Dilute Magnetic Dielectrics (DMD) that will lead to innovation in Spintronics and to communicate materials science and engineering to a wider audience through science exhibits, lab-integrated courses, and hands-on activities. The most critical step in the functioning of a spintronic device is the injection of spin-polarized carriers at the ferromagnet-semiconductor interface. Recent studies have shown that dilute doping of semiconductors or dielectrics with magnetic atoms can provide an enabling breakthrough in achieving high spin-injection efficiency. This has led to an extensive effort exploring the possibility of inducing room temperature ferromagnetism in several systems. Most of the work in this field is still focused on dilute magnetic semiconductors. Little work has been performed on DMDs. This project will start an extensive research program to explore the possibility of inducing room temperature ferromagnetism in Rare Earth Oxide based high-k dielectrics by dilute doping of transition metal elements. The educational component of this project will disseminate the fundamentals of materials science and engineering to a wider audience. The following specific tasks will be performed: (i) developing interactive materials science exhibits for the Utah Science Center Museum, (ii) initiating a summer research program for k-12 teachers and students, (iii) and creating a collaborative and interdisciplinary environment for undergraduate and graduate research.