Materials World Network: New functionality in COmplex MAGnetic structures with perpendicular anisotropy – COMAG

Nanomagnetism is one of the most active areas in science, with a wide range of fundamental problems as well as important and emerging technologies. New functionality requires control of magnetic order at the nanometer spatial and sub-nanosecond temporal scales. Many spin-based devices are still in their infancy and a thorough understanding of the underlying materials and electronic properties and their effect on device performance will be essential for all future applications. This proposal builds on a strong existing collaboration between the PIs E. Fullerton and V. Lomakin in the US and D. Ravelosona and S. Mangin in France and focuses on the study of magnetization manipulation in novel and complex magnetic heterostructures with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The goal of this proposal will be on understanding the fundamental physics of magnetically coupled nanostructured materials and their application for spintronic devices that will enable energy-efficient magnetic memory, magnetic oscillators and spin logic devices. We will design and test materials and devices that:
(i) Lower switching currents for spin-torque devices
(ii) Generate high-frequency and uniform magnetic oscillations
(iii) Enable ultra-fast and efficient manipulation of domain walls by combined effects of magnetic fields, voltages and currents.
Research opportunities include: fundamental issues of manipulation and detection of nanomagnets, novel materials, new device architectures, characterization at the nanoscale, fundamental understanding of the behavior of exchange coupled systems and their response to magnetic fields, currents, and electric fields. Such complex and fascinating phenomena require the combined efforts of materials synthesis, device fabrication, materials characterization with high spatial and temporal resolution, complex micromagnetic simulations as well as theoretical understanding. These fundamental materials issues are at the forefront of our scientific mission and hold the promise to impact a broad range of scientific questions and emerging technologies with particular impact on energy efficiency in computing.
The intellectual merit of the proposal stems from the prospect of achieving a fundamental understanding and ability to modify the properties of novel materials designed for low-power manipulation of nano-magnetism. In particular, we are interested in developing approaches for actively controlling the response of composite materials through a combined experimental and micromagnetic approach. Each materials system will be optimized to enable new phenomena such as low critical currents and ultra-fast reversal, resonant behavior at the nanoscale and strain modified domain wall motion. By combining skills in thin film synthesis, device fabrication, transport and magnetic measurements, advanced characterization techniques, and advanced modeling a complete data set will be obtained. These results will test current models in nano-magnetism and it is anticipated that interesting and unexpected new magnetic phenomena will emerge in this study.
The broader impact of the research will be both technical and educational. An understanding and control of novel magnetic materials will have broad ranging impact from understanding the performance of current magnetic devices, to assessing the potential of current and voltage control of magnetism in future spin-based electronics. The transformative goal is to provide the scientific underpinnings of next generation energy efficient, ultrafast, and ultrasmall magneto-electronic devices. The proposal will promote active exchange of students, faculty and researchers between institutions. A key component of the proposal is to collaborate with leading international, industrial, and national user-facility scientists. This will not only strengthen the scientific excellence and broaden the impact of the research, but it will also provide important educational and career opportunities for students.