Spin and Orbital phenomena for sustainable electronics
RESEARCH PROGRAMME
P4: Nanomagnetism for Information and Communication Technologies
PhD PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The semiconductor industry heavily relies on materials whose extraction, production, and purification processes are currently unsustainable. Simultaneously, the escalating demand for data storage and transfer between electronic devices (from data centers to personal computers, mobile phones to Internet of Things devices, etc.) necessitates denser and faster technology. In this context, nanoscale magnetism presents unique opportunities to revolutionize existing electronics.
By harnessing the interplay between electron’s spin, orbital and charge properties, we can manipulate the magnetization of the system and enhance the magnetization switching efficiency. This can be done by leveraging light materials, with abundant availability on Earth and fair access, engineered in suitable multilayer configurations and with different crystallographic, surface/interface, electronic and magnetic properties. By doing so, we can significantly reduce our reliance on heavy metals and rare-earth elements.
By carefully designing the multilayer structures, we will tune field-like and antidamping-like torques, and enable efficient magnetization vector switching in in-plane or out-of-plane magnetized systems in SOT-MRAM-like geometry. The aim of the proposed research is to design, fabricate and characterize light and green based magnetic multilayers for spin and orbital generation study.
The candidate will work in a highly interdisciplinary environment provided by IMDEA Nanociencia and will have the opportunity to work in strong synergy with several national and EU collaborators of the SpinOrbitronics hosting group. The hired PhD candidate will be enrolled in one of the doctoral programs at the Autonomous University of Madrid (UAM) or Complutense University of Madrid (UCM), she/he will have the opportunity to attend to international summer schools (as the ones organized by UAM, UCM, CEMAG, EMA, IEEE, Spintronic Factory, ….), to participate regularly to group’s and project’s meetings and to attend and present her/his own results in international conferences. Short or mid-term secondments at the EU partner’s institutions (such as CNRS-IJL Nancy in France, or synchrotrons ALBA in Barcelona, BESSY II in Berlin, ELETTRA in Trieste) will be also set as function of the research/training needs.
These research topics are based on the results obtained in the FLAG-ERA SOgraphMEM project, coordinated by Prof. P. Perna at IMDEA, and will be developed in the framework of the national projects ECLIPSE-ECoSOx and SPINCODE (PI: Prof. Perna), a new M-ERANET project (Coord. Prof. Perna) under evaluation.
APPLICANT’S REQUIREMENTS
The position is open to candidates with a background in Physics or Materials Science. Open minded applicants, with a passion for condensed matter physics and physical phenomena at the nanoscale, and a curiosity for advanced instrumentation and entrepreneurship in technology sectors are highly welcome. Although not mandatory, previous experience in UHV techniques, nanofabrication, magneto-transport measurements and programming will be ideal.
RESEARCH GROUP DESCRIPTION
The SpinOrbitronics Team at IMDEA Nanoscience lead by Prof. Perna, specializes in the nanofabrication of hybrid spintronics systems and their surface/interface and magneto-transport properties.
The team has wide expertise in the growth, surface and magnetotransport characterizations of low-dimensional artificial magnetic structures, such as ultrathin magnetic films and multilayers, adsorbed molecules, perovskite and functional oxides, graphene and 2D materials, with the main goal of artificially engineering the interfacial spin-orbit-induced properties of materials for devices, as in electrically controlled magnetic memory, neuromorphic computing, or magnetic sensing. The labs include a powerful battery of experimental techniques for the growth, in-situ surface, and the magneto-transport investigation in ultra-high-vacuum and ambient environments, at variable temperature, and under magnetic and electric fields. Micromagnetic simulation capabilities are also at hand, along with expertise in synchrotron-based techniques, and full-time access to the Nanofabrication Facility at IMDEA.
Four PhD students and 3 post-doctoral researchers are actually composing the group.