Spin-Diffusion in Magnetic Multilayer Structures

University Of Alabama Tuscaloosa, Tuscaloosa AL

Investigators

Abstract

****NON-TECHNICAL ABSTRACT**** Electrons have two properties that make them the prime elements in many electronic devices. These properties are their electrical charge and what is known as electron spin, the fact that they individually produce a magnetic field. It is when all or most of the electron spins are aligned or anti-aligned in an electrically conducting material, a metal, that properties of that material known as ferromagnetism or anti-ferromagnetism exists. This project will investigate how long the spins take to become ordered or disordered from a magnetic state while diffusing through layers of different types of metals. The studies will determine the rate at which the magnetic state relaxes or diffuses through the sample layers. These properties of the material are of high importance to "spintronics". Spintronics is the name of a new type of device operating on the properties of the electron spin and charge rather than just on the charge as is currently used in semiconductor electronics. This project seamlessly integrates educational activities into the research program at all levels of education. In addition outreach efforts to faculty members from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) through an existing workshop during the summer months will continue. **** TECHNICAL ABSTRACT**** The magnetization relaxation in magnetic multilayer structures is of crucial importance for their application in spintronic devices including read-heads, magnetic random access memories and spin-torque oscillators. A better understanding of the relaxation mechanisms will enable further optimization of the magnetic multilayer structures for spintronic applications. This work will combine the techniques of vector-network analyzer ferromagnetic resonance (VNA-FMR) and shorted waveguide ferromagnetic resonance to obtain information about the magnetization dynamics and the magnetization relaxation in magnetic multilayer structures over a wide frequency range. The three main thrusts of the proposed work are the investigation of the influence of doping on the spin-diffusion in thin copper films, the determination of the interfacial spin-flip probability at metal/metal interfaces and the investigation of spin-diffusion in metallic antiferromagnets. This project seamlessly integrates educational activities into the research program at all levels of education. In addition outreach efforts to faculty members from historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) through an existing workshop during the summer months will continue.