Collaborative Research: Microwave Auto-Oscillators Driven by Pure Spin Currents

本计划的目的是开发和研究纯自旋电流驱动的微波磁自激子的特性。智力上的优点是对自旋电流在纳米级磁系统中引起的现象有了更深入的理解，这将由自旋电流驱动的新的、以前无法接近的结构和器件的几何形状、先进的磁表征技术的发展——微焦布里渊光谱学和x射线二色性显微镜，以及纳米级磁系统理论理解的进步所促进。更广泛的影响是提高美国科学/技术的竞争力，为电子行业培训专家，以及一般的公共教育。也就是说，在该计划中开发的一类新型微波自振荡器将有助于保持美国在微波电子领域的领导地位。本科生和研究生将接触到制造和表征自旋电子纳米结构的现代方法，并将与领先的科学家互动。为K-12教师和学生量身定制的纳米科学和纳米技术讲座和演示等外展活动将科学地告知公众。通过将纳米技术和自旋电子学的理论和实验方法纳入研究生和本科课程，学生的教育将得到加强。该提案的主要变革方面将是开发一种定性的新型有源自旋器件，其中自旋电流将直接使用，而不伴随电荷电流，从而为使用新型材料和器件几何形状开辟了可能性。

The objective of this program is to develop and study the characteristics of microwave magnetic auto-oscillators driven by pure spin currents.The intellectual merit is a deeper understanding of phenomena induced in nanoscale magnetic systems by spin currents, which will be facilitated by the new, previously inaccessible structures and geometries of devices driven by spin currents, by the development of advanced magnetic characterization techniques - micro-focus Brillouin Light Spectroscopy and x-ray dichroism microscopy, and by the advances in theoretical understanding of nanoscale magnetic systems.The broader impacts are enhanced competitiveness of US science/technology, training of specialists for the electronics industry, and general public education. Namely, a new class of microwave auto-oscillators developed in this program will help maintain US leadership in microwave electronics. Undergraduate and graduate students will be exposed to the modern methods of fabrication and characterization of spintronic nanostructures, and will interact with the leading scientists. Outreach activities including lectures and demonstrations on nanoscience and nanotechnology tailored for K-12 teachers and students will scientifically inform the general public. Student education will be enhanced through the incorporation of theoretical and experimental methods of nanotechnology and spintronics into the graduate and undergraduate curricula.The main transformative aspect of the proposal will be the development of a qualitatively new type of active spin-based devices where spin currents will be used directly, without being accompanied by charge currents, opening the possibilities for using new types of materials and device geometries.