Tailoring Exchange Interactions in Complex Oxide Heterostructures

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NON-TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION: Many current commercial products such as giant magnetoresistive sensors that are used in magnetic random-access memory and magnetic hard drives are based on the interactions of magnetic forces between multiple materials. A better understanding of these interactions may also allow for the development of future spintronic devices. This project explores the unique interfacial phenomena found in complex oxide structures in order to design artificially-layered materials with tailored magnetic properties. Outreach activities include supporting the University of California at Davis Community College Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Transfer Day which targets educationally disadvantaged and underrepresented groups from Mathematics Engineering Science Achievement programs across Northern California. A parallel and equally important impact of this project is the training of young scientists and engineers in a field that lies at the intersection of traditional disciplines of Materials Science and Engineering, Physics, and Electrical Engineering. Graduates typically find employment in the information technology sector. TECHNICAL DETAILS: This goal of this project is to develop a fundamental understanding of interfacial phenomena in complex oxide heterostructures to design artificially-layered material with tailored magnetic properties. The incorporation of these materials in next generation spintronic and orbitronic devices has the potential for significant improvements in device speed and energy efficiency, which may transform the information storage and technology sectors. This work utilizes laser-assisted growth to control interfacial properties with atomic layer precision in combination with sophisticated techniques for characterizing their structural, chemical, and functional properties over multiple length scales. In addition, geometric confinement effects as these materials are patterned to nanoscale dimensions are investigated. These results enable the development of predictive models of the emergent interfacial properties at dimensions relevant for device applications. Additional education activities include the training of undergraduate and graduate students in state-of-the-art tools, including synchrotron radiation and neutron scattering-based characterization techniques at U.S. national laboratories.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.