Ultra-High Efficiency Topological Inductors
Abstract
This project intends to fabricate a prototype of a novel inductor, which is a semiconductor componentused particularly in high-freq"uency information processing device applications. Inductors are widely used in applications as varied as power substations and filte"rs for radio frequency circuits, making themextremely important circuit elements. Initial theoretical results indicate that inducto"r performance can bestrongly enhanced by exploiting inherent physical properties of topological materials. When magneticperturbati"ons are added to the surface of a topological material, they produce a current that isperpendicular to that of the applied electric"" field in the system. Therefore, by placing islands of magneticmaterials on the surface of topological materials, it is possible to" artificially guide currents to form currentloops that produce greater inductance at higher operating frequencies than other proposed inductorsolutions. The proposed inductor has an not only an enhanced inductance density but also possessesenhanced scalability" pathways. It has the potential to be a vital component of future nanoscale circuitdesigns. To execute this award, we propose a joi""nt theoretical (Gilbert), fabrication (Mason) andmeasurement (Rodwell) effort to produce a proof-of-concept demonstration of the un""derlying operatingprinciples of the topological inductor. Specifically, we propose to explore the numerous open questionssurroundi"ng the experimental realization of the topological inductor necessary to accelerate thistechnology towards actualization such as: (1) The importance of coherence (2) The role of real materialbandstructure in inductor operation (3) The role of temperature and material specific disorder (4) Theimportance of island shape and position (5) The optimal material within which to fabricate the topologicalinductor. Answering these important questions will not only help elucidate how to optimize the design ofthe topological indu"ctor and the stability of the effects that we propose to exploit, but will also determinethe overall generality of the effects and"" their potential appearance in other material systems. Beyond theimpact on the design of the topological inductor, answering these"" open questions would represent asignificant advance in both fundamental science and fabrication techniques, which will open additi"onalavenues of exploration.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Nov 03, 2017
- Source ID
- N000141713012
Entities
People
- Matthew J Gilbert
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign