(DURIP) PROBING AND CONTROLLING THE INTRINSIC PROPERTIES OF TWO-DIMENSIONAL TOPOLOGICAL ANTIFERROMAGNETS FOR THE NEXT-GENERATION SPINTRONICS
Abstract
The birth of topological insulators, which only conduct electricity on their surfaces, and topological semimetals, which have gapless, topologically-protected degenerate points, have highlighted the importance of novel quantum effects beyond those in traditional strongly correlated materials. Topological insulators and semimetals are promising platforms for a new generation of low-dissipation spintronics, energy-efficient optoelectronics, and fault-tolerant topological quantum computing. The proposed studies will be based upon the recent studies of imaging and controlling antiferromagnetic domains in the two-dimensional limit and measuring photo-galvanic effect by a newly developed terahertz emission spectrometer. These observations all point to a pressing need to perform measurements on magnetic topological materials in carefully controlled experimental conditions where domains, vibrations, and magnetic fields are all deliberately controlled. Domains can become particularly problematic for revealing the intrinsic properties of the material systems such as the phase transition temperature, transition field strength and nonlinear optical response amplitude. The purpose of this proposal is to acquire a glove box integrated with a thermal evaporator to prepare air-sensitive and hard-to-exfoliate samples (by the conventional scotch methods). The samples can be then measured by the scanning second harmonic generation, scanning time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect, and terahertz emission experiments to address hidden physics in two-dimensional antiferromagnetic topological materials. The objective is to investigate novel nonlinear optical responses in these antiferromagnetic topological materials with the proposed glove box integrated with a thermal evaporator, and identify them as possible new platforms for faster memory devices and energy-efficient optoelectronics.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Apr 20, 2023
- Source ID
- FA95502210449
Entities
People
- Liang Wu
Organizations
- Air Force Office of Scientific Research
- United States Air Force
- University of Pennsylvania