Recent Projects
A New Type of Magnetic Phenomenon
When trying to understand why magnetic thin films lose their magnetization faster than would be expected, we discovered a new phenomenon that allows switching in magnetic thin films between nearly fully saturated to nearly full saturated in the opposite direction with very small fields. This may have applications in computer logic, heating and cooling, sensing, and energy generation. We are looking for experts in magnetic devices to explore opportunities.
Collaborations with NASA
NASA has recently developed next generation technology that can be used for single photon detection and significantly improves upon detector sensitivity. There are a few challenges that we are assisting in, including understanding the effect of surface states on device performance and how dopant elements can allow tunability. NASA is currently developing this idea for multiple instruments for future missions, such as the Origins Space Telescope. “Origins” would trace our cosmic history, from the formation of the first galaxies and the rise of metals to the development of habitable worlds and present-day life. These systems are the baseline detector technologies for two of the main instruments in Origins. Another mission concept under study in the same Astrophysics Decadal Review (with results expected soon) is a Probe-class mission, the Galactic Evolution Probe (GEP). The GEP concept includes aluminum microwave kinetic inductance detectors, and it would do photometric and spectroscopic large-scale surveys in the mid- and far-IR that identify star-forming galaxies and correlate their star-formation rates with other physical properties. There are also NASA high-altitude balloon mission concepts proposed, including a pathfinder for GEP, and a submillimeter wave spectrometer to study star formation rates over cosmological history by means of intensity mapping versus redshift.
Electric Control of Magnetism at Interfaces
Electric control of magnetism has applications for computing, magnetic sensing and tunable microwave filters. Unfortunately, the coupling between electricity and magnetism is still too small at room temperature. We were the first to observe uncompensated spins at these interfaces, determine their orientation and use this observation to show that there is a limit to how thin these films can get to still have an interfacial magnetoelectric effect.
Ultra-fast Optics of Complex Oxides
While the magnetic properties of strongly correlated semi-metals has been studied for a long time, there exists less information about the ultra-fast optical properties of these materials. We are using the pump probe technique to further study the ultra-fast free carrier dynamics of these materials, particularly for lower thicknesses. Furthermore, vibrational modes in the system, such as phonons, magnons, plasmons, and also spin dynamics in spin polarized strongly correlated materials are being studied in our group.