Tailoring Exchange Interactions in Complex Oxide Heterostructures

非技术描述：目前许多商业产品，如用于磁性随机存取存储器和磁性硬盘驱动器的巨磁电阻传感器，都是基于多种材料之间的磁力相互作用。更好地了解这些相互作用也可能有助于未来自旋电子器件的发展。该项目探索复杂氧化物结构中发现的独特界面现象，以设计具有定制磁性的人工分层材料。外展活动包括支持加州大学戴维斯社区学院科学、技术、工程和数学迁移日，该活动针对北加州数学工程科学成就计划中的教育弱势群体和代表不足的群体。该项目的一个平行而同样重要的影响是在一个位于材料科学与工程、物理和电气工程等传统学科的交叉点的领域培训年轻的科学家和工程师。毕业生通常在信息技术部门找到工作。技术细节：这个项目的目标是对复杂氧化物异质结构中的界面现象有一个基本的了解，以设计具有定制磁性的人工分层材料。将这些材料纳入下一代自旋电子学和轨道电子学设备中，有可能显著提高设备速度和能源效率，这可能会改变信息存储和技术部门。这项工作利用激光辅助生长来控制界面属性，原子层精度与复杂的技术相结合，在多个长度尺度上表征其结构、化学和功能属性。此外，还研究了这些材料图案化到纳米尺度时的几何约束效应。这些结果使得能够在与设备应用相关的维度上开发浮现界面性质的预测模型。其他教育活动包括在美国国家实验室对本科生和研究生进行最先进的工具培训，包括同步辐射和基于中子散射的表征技术。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

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.