IMR: Acquisition of Cryogenic STM Head and Electronics for Education and Research in Spintronic Materials

Boston College, Chestnut Hill MA

Investigators

Abstract

There has been a recent surge of interest in dilute magnetic semiconductors due to their potential application as 'spintronic' materials. The emerging field of spintronics is based upon the idea of harnessing the electron spin to make functional devices. This award from the Instrumentation for Materials Research program will be used to procure a commercially available low temperature scanning tunneling microscope (STM) head and electronics and optimize it to perform as an ultra high vacuum (UHV), 5K, spin-polarized STM. The instrument will be used to study the electronic properties of dilute magnetic semiconductors. Spin-polarized spectroscopy will provide important data on the spatial distribution of spins in these materials. It is anticipated that experiments will shed some light on the chief ingredients required to make up a theory that successfully explains ferromagnetism in the magnetic semiconductors and might point scientists in the direction of how room temperature spintronic materials can be obtained. The instrument will be used in one-day outreach program on nanoscience geared towards middle school girls. There has been a recent surge of interest in dilute magnetic semiconductors due to their potential application as 'spintronic' materials. The emerging field of spintronics is based upon the idea of harnessing the electron spin to make functional devices. If we could successfully generate, manipulate and detect spin-polarized currents, a new generation of devices will emerge that will be faster and will require lower power. This award from the Instrumentation for Materials Research program will allow Boston College to acquire a low temperature scanning tunneling microscope (STM) head and electronics and optimize it to perform as an ultra high vacuum, spin-polarized STM. With a low temperature STM researchers can image surfaces with atomic resolution, manipulate atoms to form artificial structures, and measure a very important property of materials, the local density of states (LDOS). This instrument will be used to study dilute magnetic semiconductors. Dedicated STM research on dilute magnetic semiconductors will point the way towards making spintronic technology viable. The outreach program is aimed at decreasing the substantially large gender-gap for women in physics and engineering. A recurring theme in all outreach programs will be to generate excitement for physics and technology by exposure to the marvels of nanoscience and the potential for future applications.