MRI: Acquisition of a Physical Properties Measurement System VersaLab for Research in the Areas of Spintronics and Advanced Nanostructured Magnetic Materials

San Jose State University Foundation, San Jose CA

Investigators

Abstract

This award from the Major Research Instrumentation Program is to support the acquisition of the Physical Properties Measurement System VersaLab by Quantum Design. This instrument will be used in a variety of research areas to perform electrical, magnetic, and thermal measurements over a wide range of applied magnetic fields and temperatures. Thus, this will enable research to be conducted in cutting-edge technologies such as nanoelectronics, molecular magnets, organic semiconductors, non-volatile memories, photovoltaics, solid-state batteries, materials for post-silicon electronics, and biomedical technology. It will be used by faculty from the Physics & Astronomy, Chemistry, Materials, Mechanical, Biomedical, and Electrical Engineering departments at San Jose State University (SJSU). The VersaLab will foster collaboration across multiple departments within SJSU, as well as between SJSU and surrounding universities, community colleges, private sector, and national labs. The instrument will be incorporated into the curriculum of several SJSU laboratory classes with the goal to improve undergraduate and graduate STEM education. We hope that by involving undergraduates in research at an early point in their education, we may attract more of them into the field of STEM, particularly women and underrepresented groups. SJSU has one of the most diverse student populations in the United States and has been recognized as a Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) and an Asian American Native American Pacific Islander Serving Institution (AANAPISI). VersaLab will significantly improve research and education of minority students, enabling them to pursue technical careers in Silicon Valley or obtain graduate degrees. Physical Properties Measurement System VersaLab from Quantum Design is a user-friendly, cryogen-free cryocooler-based, and fully automated turn-key instrument. It is perfect for accomplishing many types of materials characterization in a magnetic field up to 3 Tesla and over a temperature range 50-1000 K. It consists of the Base system and add-on options for magnetometry, and measurements of ac magnetic susceptibility, ferromagnetic resonance, electrical transport, thermal transport, and heat capacity. This will support studies of magnetic materials for spintronics applications, inverse spin-Hall effect, organic spintronics, molecular magnetism, semiconductor nanostructures for energy production, electrical and thermal conductivities of hierarchical materials, solid state batteries, tissue-mimicking materials, and multiple other projects. VersaLab instrument will greatly enhance present material characterization capabilities at SJSU and open new directions in the research of the involved faculty. The ability to fully characterize magnetic, electrical, and thermal properties of materials is critical to many of the SJSU faculty. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.