LOCAL CHARGE-SPIN-PHONON CORRELATIONS IN VOLTAGE CONTROLLED MAGNETISM

This project focuses on the manipulation and control of the magnetic state of a material by applying electric fields, which will enable new low energy consumption spintronic devices. We intend to study this in (i) multiferroic materials and (ii) ferromagnetic/dielectric heterostructures. Multiferroic materials exhibit coupling between charge ordering and magnetic (spin) ordering, either in a single crystal phase or at the interface between ferromagnetic and ferroelectric materials. In ferromagnetic/dielectric heterostructures there has recently been significant progress in the voltage control of magnetic anisotropy. The overarching aim of our research project is to study the morphology, chemical composition and magnetism exactly at the interface between the ferromagnetic and the ferro- or di-electric materials, in order to reach a deeper insight in the nature of the coupling mechanism(s) governing the electric field control of magnetism. The central research questions are related to (i) can we understand and differentiate the various contributions to the coupling mechanism between ferromagnetic and ferroelectric materials (strain; carrier modulation; orbital reconstruction); (ii) how is the interplay between magnetic interactions and lattice vibrations in low-dimensional multiferroic systems (spin-phonon coupling); (iii) how does an electric field affect the electron density and the local magnetism in ferromagnetic/dielectric structures? We will rely on our extensive expertise in thin film growth, magnetism, and in particular nuclear scattering techniques, which provide the desired sensitivity to explore the interfacial region. We have access to state-of-the-art samples and theoretical support.

Keywords:multiferroics, thin-film magnetism, phonon confinement, interface structure, spintronics

Disciplines:Instructional sciences, Condensed matter physics and nanophysics, Nuclear physics, Applied mathematics in specific fields, Elementary particle and high energy physics, Quantum physics, Classical physics, Other physical sciences