A spintronic and photonic transducer based on layered two-dimensional magnetic materials- controlling light emission
Abstract
Spins and photons are widely used in information technologies. Hard disks function by storing information in small magnetic domains, approx tens of nanometer in lateral dimension, with their north-south poles pointing perpendicular to thin films. While the vast majority of information is transferred by light confined in fibers, the smallest amount of light one can use for information transfer are individual photons. Building an integrated spintronic and photonic transducer that may be used for both information storage and transfer would lead to technological breakthroughs. This challenging task requires a new material platform drastically different from the existing technology. Current spintronic devices are built with metallic magnetic multilayers while some devices (e.g. magnetic tunnel junctions) include an insulating spacer. These materials do not emit light. Here, we explore a new type of van der Waals magnetic materials where magnetic ordering is naturally coupled to light emission. Our research objectives include 1. understanding the fundamental optical properties of these materials including quantum yield, nature of optical transitions, and how they couple to the magnetic order; 2. enhancing light emission by coupling van der Waals layers to two types of cavities; 3. building an array of emitters using a moiré superlattice substrate. We will use combine van der Waals material characterization techniques and optical microscopy methods including polarization-resolved and time-resolved photoluminescence to investigate these materials. Our goal is to establish these materials as a new platform for spintronic and photonic applications. Because of the lightweight and flexible nature of van der Waals materials, the proposed materials can be integrated with existing spintronic and photonic devices, augmenting their functionalities.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 10, 2022
- Source ID
- FA23862114067XX54
Entities
People
- Xiaoqin Li
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University of Texas at Austin