CAREER: Self-Assembled Magnetic Nanostructures

磁性各向异性能（MAE）是磁性元件最重要的功能特性之一。它决定了磁化的方向和稳定性以及磁化反转的机理和动力学。这项工作的一个关键结果将是提高对MAE的原子尺度理解，这可以极大地促进纳米结构的工程，其MAE值超过当前可用材料的MAE值超过一个数量级。PI将运用他长期以来在合成纳米结构方法方面的专业知识，其精度和结构复杂性远远超过最先进的技术；从孤立的结构，到二维和三维混合组件。通过系统地研究局部配位效应、与支撑底物的电子杂化以及与分子配体在网络结构中的相互作用，我们对MAE的基本理解将大大提高。将确定实现超大MAE的条件，这可能对通过结构设计进行MAE工程有用。探索室温下磁存储密度的极限将是这个五年计划的一个关键目标，研究工作包括自组装磁性纳米结构的低温扫描隧道显微镜/光谱学，与校园本地表征互补的x射线磁二色性实验，以及前往同步加速器设施进行磁圆二色性测量。非技术：结果将允许极高密度的磁记录介质的发展。这项工作将展示基于磁性纳米团簇的自组装图案介质，如果应用于磁记录，将允许前所未有的比特密度超过每平方英寸80太比特。非技术：由PI建立的低温STM实验室将允许本科生和研究生使用最先进的纳米科学工具进行培训。这将建立必要的人力基础设施，以继续在一个快速发展的领域进行研究和开发，该领域被视为世界上最重要的研究领域之一。长期目标是在UNL建立一个STM方法重要领域的专业知识中心。本研究项目中某些方面的跨学科性质将促进与其他部门的研究合作，特别有利于形成对本科生和研究生具有吸引力的研究氛围。这项工作的教育部分的目标是长期保留妇女在UNL的物理学本科和研究生课程。它基于PI以前在努力改善妇女在研究环境中的成功途径方面的经验。该倡议将协调各种活动，促进女学生在国家一级建立网络，传播她们在物理学方面的贡献。作为该项目的一个关键要素，PI将在UNL为物理学专业的女本科生开发和主持一个会议。与UNL领导人在教育推广方面的新伙伴关系已经为第一年（试点）带来了资金。预计该计划将有助于吸引和留住优秀的女物理学家到该系，并显着提高女性在本科和研究生课程中的比例。该提案由材料研究部门的金属和凝聚态物理项目以及化学部门的无机、生物无机和有机金属化学（IBO）项目共同资助。

TECHNICAL: The magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) is among the most important functional properties of magnetic elements. It determines the orientation and stability of the magnetization as well as the mechanisms and the dynamics of the magnetization reversal. A key result of this work will be an improved atomic-scale understanding of the MAE, which can greatly facilitate the engineering of nanostructures with MAE values that exceed those of currently-available materials by over an order of magnitude. The PI will implement his long-standing expertise in methods of synthesizing nanostructures with a precision and structural complexity well beyond the state-of-the-art; from isolated structures, to 2- and 3-dimensional hybrid assemblies. Our fundamental understanding of the MAE will improve significantly from the systematic study of local coordination effects, electronic hybridization with the supporting substrate, and interactions with molecular ligands in network structures. Conditions to achieve extremely large MAE will be identified, which could be useful for engineering the MAE by structural design. Exploring the limit of magnetic storage density at room temperature will be a key objective of this five year program Elements of research efforts include low-temperature scanning tunneling microscopy/spectroscopy on self-assembled magnetic nanostructures, x-ray magnetic dichroism experiments complementary to the local characterization on-campus, and travel to Synchrotron facilities for magnetic circular dichroism measurements.NON-TECHNICAL: Results will permit the development of extremely high density magnetic recording media. The work will demonstrate self-assembled patterned media based on magnetic nanoclusters, which, if applied in magnetic recording, would allow for unprecedented bit densities beyond 80 Terabit per square inch. NON-TECHNICAL: The Low Temperature STM lab built by the PI will allow for training of undergraduate and graduate students with state-of-the-art tools in nanoscience. This will build the human infrastructure needed to continue research and development in a rapidly growing field that is seen as one of the most significant areas of research worldwide. The long-term goal is to create at UNL, a center of expertise in the important field of STM methods. The interdisciplinary nature of some aspects in this research program will foster research collaborations with other departments and is particularly conducive to a research climate that is attractive for undergraduate and graduate students. The educational component of this work targets the long-term retention of women in UNL's undergraduate and graduate program in Physics. It is based on the PI's previous experience in efforts to improve avenues of success for women in research environments. The PI will coordinate activities to facilitate networking for women students at the national level, to disseminate their contribution in physics. As a key element of this program the PI will develop and host at UNL, a conference for undergraduate women in physics. A new partnership with leaders at UNL in educational outreach has already brought about funding for the first (pilot) year. It is expected that this program will help attract and retain outstanding women physicists to the department and increase the percentage of women in the undergraduate and graduate program significantly.This proposal is co-funded by Metals and Condensed Matter Physics program in the Division of Materials Research, and Inorganic, Bioinorganic and Organometallic Chemistry (IBO) program in the Chemistry Division.