Colloidal Excitonic Magnetic Polarons for Spin-Based Photonics

University Of Washington, Seattle WA

Investigators

Abstract

The Division of Chemistry supports Jillian Dempsey of the University of Washington as an American Competitiveness in Chemistry Fellow. Dr. Dempsey will work on synthesizing and characterizing new kinds of magnetic nanoparticles with interesting, long-lived photomagnetic effects. The nanoparticles will be Mn(I)-doped CdSe quantum dots with various shapes and internal structures. The resulting work will help in the development of future spintronics and spin-photonics materials. Dr. Dempsey will collaborate with scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory's high magnetic field laboratory to examine barriers to magnetization reversal and antiferromagnetic superexchange interactions of Mn(II)-Mn(II) dimer pairs in these materials at 120 Tesla. In addition to her research, Dr. Dempsey will develop curriculum materials in nanoscience that she will disseminate to Seattle-area students and teachers. Research like that of Dr. Dempsey is aimed at developing new kinds of materials that have interesting or unique physical properties. The specific kinds of materials that Dempsey is working on could be useful in new generations of computers and electronics. The efforts at broadening participation being pursued by Dr. Dempsey are aimed at giving a broad population of students and the public exposure to an emerging area of the chemical sciences.