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

该计划的目标是开发和研究由纯自旋电流驱动的微波磁自振子的特性。其智力优势是更深入地了解自旋电流在纳米级磁系统中诱导的现象，这将通过自旋电流驱动的设备的新的、以前无法访问的结构和几何形状、先进的磁表征技术的发展-微焦点布里渊光谱分析和X射线二向色性显微镜的发展，以及对纳米级磁系统理论理解的进步而得到促进。更广泛的影响是美国科学/技术的竞争力增强，电子行业的专家培训，以及普通的公共教育。也就是说，在该计划中开发的一种新型微波自动振荡器将有助于保持美国在微波电子领域的领先地位。本科生和研究生将接触到自旋电子纳米结构的现代制造和表征方法，并将与领先的科学家互动。推广活动，包括为K-12教师和学生量身定做的纳米科学和纳米技术讲座和演示，将科学地向公众宣传。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，学生教育将得到加强。该提案的主要变革性方面将是开发一种基于自旋的有源装置，其中将直接使用自旋流，而不伴随电荷流，从而为使用新类型的材料和装置几何形状打开可能性。

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.