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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 541 records · Page 30
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
NASA NTRS1994

The subcritical, quasi-parallel, switch-on shock

The conditions that lead to subcritical, quasi-parallel bow shocks are very rare. Even more rarely, a subcritical, quasi-parallel shock can also be termed a switch-on shock, where the tangential component of the magnetic field, which is very small upstream, is said to 'switch on' downstream. The Rankine-Hugoniot conservation relations predict that the jump in the tangential component of the magnetic field across the shock is very large for these upstream conditions. In this study, we find that the measured jumps in the plasma conditions are in accord with predictions made by the Rankine-Hugoniot conservation relations. The structure of the switch-on shock, not predicted by the Rankine-Hugoniot equations, is very similar to that of the subcritical, quasi-perpendicular shock, with the exception that the precursor wave in front of the shock ramp damps more slowly.

Farris, M. H.↗
DOE OSTI2018

Switching a Perpendicular Ferromagnetic Layer by Competing Spin Currents

An ultimate goal of spintronics is to control magnetism via electrical means. One promising way is to utilize a current-induced spin-orbit torque (SOT) originating from the strong spin-orbit coupling in heavy metals and their interfaces to switch a single perpendicularly magnetized ferromagnetic layer at room temperature. However, experimental realization of SOT switching to date requires an additional in-plane magnetic field, or other more complex measures, thus severely limiting its prospects. Here we present a novel structure consisting of two heavy metals that delivers competing spin currents of opposite spin indices. Instead of just canceling the pure spin current and the associated SOTs as one expects and corroborated by the widely accepted SOTs, such devices manifest the ability to switch the perpendicular CoFeB magnetization solely with an in-plane current without any magnetic field. Magnetic domain imaging reveals selective asymmetrical domain wall motion under a current. Our discovery not only paves the way for the application of SOT in nonvolatile technologies, but also poses questions on the underlying mechanism of the commonly believed SOT-induced switching phenomenon.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2015

Unveiling hidden ferrimagnetism and giant magnetoelectricity in polar magnet Fe 2 Mo 3 O 8

Magnetoelectric (ME) effect is recognized for its utility for low-power electronic devices. Largest ME coefficients are often associated with phase transitions in which ferroelectricity is induced by magnetic order. Unfortunately, in these systems, large ME response is revealed only upon elaborate poling procedures. These procedures may become unnecessary in single-polar-domain crystals of polar magnets. Here we report giant ME effects in a polar magnet Fe 2 Mo 3 O 8 at temperatures as high as 60 K. Polarization jumps of 0.3 μC/cm 2 and repeated mutual control of ferroelectric and magnetic moments with differential ME coefficients on the order of 10 4 ps/m are achieved. Importantly, no electric or magnetic poling is needed, as necessary for applications. The sign of the ME coefficients can be switched by changing the applied “bias” magnetic field. The observed effects are associated with a hidden ferrimagnetic order unveiled by application of a magnetic field.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
NASA NTRS1984

K-Band Latching Switches

Design, development, and tests are described for two single-pole-double-throw latching waveguide ferrite switches: a K-band switch in WR-42 waveguide and a Ka-band switch in WR-28 waveguide. Both switches have structurally simple junctions, mechanically interlocked without the use of bonding materials; they are impervious to the effects of thermal, shock, and vibration stresses. Ferrite material for the Ka-band switch with a proper combination of magnetic and dielectric properties was available and resulted in excellent low loss, wideband performance. The high power handling requirement of the K-band switch limited the choice of ferrite to nickel-zinc compositions with adequate magnetic properties, but with too low relative dielectric constant. The relative dielectric constant determines the junction dimensions for given frequency responses. In this case the too low value unavoidably leads to a larger than optimum junction volume, increasing the insertion loss and restricting the operating bandwidth. Efforts to overcome the materials-related difficulties through the design of a composite junction with increased effective dielectric properties efforts to modify the relative dielectric constant of nickel-zinc ferrite are examined.

Piotrowski, W. S.↗
DOE OSTI2014

Tuning the band structures of a one-dimensional width-modulated magnonic crystal by a transverse magnetic field

Theoretical studies, based on three independent techniques, of the band structure of a one-dimensional width-modulated magnonic crystal under a transverse magnetic field are reported. The band diagram is found to display distinct behaviors when the transverse field is either larger or smaller than a critical value. The widths and center positions of bandgaps exhibit unusual non-monotonic and large field-tunability through tilting the direction of magnetization. Some bandgaps can be dynamically switched on and off by simply tuning the strength of such a static field. Finally, the impact of the lowered symmetry of the magnetic ground state on the spin-wave excitation efficiency of an oscillating magnetic field is discussed. Our finding reveals that the magnetization direction plays an important role in tailoring magnonic band structures and hence in the design of dynamic spin-wave switches.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2017

Explosive X-point collapse in relativistic magnetically dominated plasma

The extreme properties of the gamma-ray flares in the Crab nebula present a clear challenge to our ideas on the nature of particle acceleration in relativistic astrophysical plasma. It seems highly unlikely that standard mechanisms of stochastic type are at work here and hence the attention of theorists has switched to linear acceleration in magnetic reconnection events. In this series of papers, we attempt to develop a theory of explosive magnetic reconnection in highly magnetized relativistic plasma which can explain the extreme parameters of the Crab flares. In the first paper, we focus on the properties of the X-point collapse. Using analytical and numerical methods (fluid and particle-in-cell simulations) we extend Syrovatsky’s classical model of such collapse to the relativistic regime. We find that the collapse can lead to the reconnection rate approaching the speed of light on macroscopic scales. During the collapse, the plasma particles are accelerated by charge-starved electric fields, which can reach (and even exceed) values of the local magnetic field. The explosive stage of reconnection produces non-thermal power-law tails with slopes that depend on the average magnetization $\unicode[STIX]{x1D70E}$ . For sufficiently high magnetizations and vanishing guide field, the non-thermal particle spectrum consists of two components: a low-energy population with soft spectrum that dominates the number census; and a high-energy population with hard spectrum that possesses all the properties needed to explain the Crab flares.

Physics↗
DOE OSTI2019

Coexistence of Magnetic Orders in Two-Dimensional Magnet CrI3

The magnetic properties in two-dimensional van der Waals materials depend sensitively on structure. CrI 3 , as an example, has been recently demonstrated to exhibit distinct magnetic properties depending on the layer thickness and stacking order. Bulk CrI 3 is ferromagnetic (FM) with a Curie temperature of 61 K and a rhombohedral layer stacking, whereas few-layer CrI 3 has a layered antiferromagnetic (AFM) phase with a lower ordering temperature of 45 K and a monoclinic stacking. In this work, we use cryogenic magnetic force microscopy to investigate CrI 3 flakes in the intermediate thickness range (25–200 nm) and find that the two types of magnetic orders, hence the stacking orders, can coexist in the same flake with a layer of ~13 nm at each surface being in the layered AFM phase similar to few-layer CrI 3 and the rest in the bulk FM phase. The switching of the bulk moment proceeds through a remnant state with nearly compensated magnetic moment along the c-axis, indicating formation of c-axis domains allowed by a weak interlayer coupling strength in the rhombohedral phase. Our research provides a comprehensive picture on the magnetism in CrI 3 and point to the possibility of engineering magnetic heterostructures within the same material.

2D magnets↗
NASA NTRS2007

Electromagnetic Radial Forces in a Hybrid Eight-Stator-Pole, Six-Rotor-Pole Bearingless Switched-Reluctance Motor

Analysis and experimental measurement of the electromagnet force loads on the hybrid rotor in a novel bearingless switched-reluctance motor (BSRM) have been performed. A BSRM has the combined characteristics of a switched-reluctance motor and a magnetic bearing. The BSRM has an eight-pole stator and a six-pole hybrid rotor, which is composed of circular and scalloped lamination segments. The hybrid rotor is levitated using only one set of stator poles. A second set of stator poles imparts torque to the scalloped portion of the rotor, which is driven in a traditional switched reluctance manner by a processor. Analysis was done for nonrotating rotor poles that were oriented to achieve maximum and minimum radial force loads on the rotor. The objective is to assess whether simple one-dimensional magnetic circuit analysis is sufficient for preliminary evaluation of this machine, which may exhibit strong three-dimensional electromagnetic field behavior. Two magnetic circuit geometries, approximating the complex topology of the magnetic fields in and around the hybrid rotor, were employed in formulating the electromagnetic radial force equations. Reasonable agreement between the experimental results and the theoretical predictions was obtained with typical magnetic bearing derating factors applied to the predictions.

Morrison, Carlos R.↗
DOE OSTI2025

Observation of Topological Chirality Switching Induced Freezing of a Skyrmion Crystal

Magnetic skyrmions are topologically protected quasi-particles with a well-defined chirality. Control over their chirality is proposed as an additional feature for encoding data bits or as qubits in quantum computing due to their high efficiency and stability against achiral magnetic textures. Here it is shown that an in-plane magnetic field can be utilized to reshape the energy barriers between different skyrmionic bubbles (e.g., Bloch type, type-II) enabling spontaneous chirality fluctuations with a frequency that increases with the strength of the in-plane field. The insulating van der Waals ferromagnet CrBr3 is used as an archetypal system for low damping, reduced energy dissipation and a high number of magnetic phases to capture the chirality dynamics in real time through cryo-Lorentz transmission electron microscopy. It is observed that the interplay between the intrinsic Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction and out-of-plane field biased the chirality dynamics, favoring one handedness over the other. A remarkable consequence of the spontaneous chirality switching mechanism is that it induces a freezing (or crystallization) process in the skyrmion lattice. As the bubbles fluctuate between Bloch and type-II they elongate and shrink parallel to the in-plane field. Subsequently, the overall lattice crystallizes along the in-plane field direction, inducing a phase transition from a disordered liquid state to a hexatic phase where skyrmions are highly ordered resembling that of a solid. The results indicate chirality as an active element in the creation of topologically protected skyrmion crystals unveiling pathways toward chiral spintronic device platforms with tunable embedded configuration.

2D Phase Transition↗
DOE OSTI2018

Stochastic Dynamics of a Ferromagnetic Vortex Revealed by Single-Spin Magnetometry

We study the dynamics of a magnetic vortex in a permalloy disk, as it is switched between bistable pinning sites in the presence of room-temperature thermal noise. We use static and time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr-effect microscopy to characterize the equilibrium and nonequilibrium motion of the vortex in response to a train of magnetic field pulses. The limitations of this approach due to inhomogeneous averaging are overcome by using a proximal nitrogen-vacancy spin in diamond to probe the final position of the vortex core following a single magnetic field pulse. Repeating this single-shot measurement, we characterize the probability of switching between two bistable pinning sites as a function of pulse time. Here, we develop a simple model of the stochastic vortex trajectory through the pinning sites’ basins of attraction to understand how the separate contributions of damping and dephasing result in the observed switching behavior.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2020

Crystal orientation dependence of interfacial magnetic anisotropy at heavy-metal/magnetic-garnet interfaces

Ferrimagnetic insulators capped with a heavy metal are becoming an increasingly interesting materials system in spintronics due to their unique ability for electrical manipulation and detection of magnetic states and spin textures via spin-orbit torques. The ability to engineer magnetic anisotropy is a powerful tool for tuning the recently discovered phenomena in these bilayers such as electrical switching or the stabilization of topological magnetic textures. Here, we observe large shifts in the magnetic anisotropy in Tm 3 Fe 5 O 13 and Y 3 Fe 5 O 12 thin films due to heavy-metal capping layers, which strongly depends on the orientation of the substrate and therefore the orientation of the epitaxial films. This work suggests large Rashba spin-orbit coupling at the metal/ferrimagneticinsulator interface, which can be engineered in spintronic devices that utilize spin-orbit torques for electrical control of the magnetization in magnetic insulators.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Intricate Magnetic Landscape in Antiferromagnetic Kagome Metal TbTi 3 Bi 4 and Interplay with Ln 2– x Ti 6+ x Bi 9 (Ln: Tb···Lu) Shurikagome Metals

Here we present the discovery and characterization of the kagome metal TbTi 3 Bi 4 in tandem with a new series of compounds, the Ln 2–x Ti 6+x Bi 9 (Ln: Tb–Lu) shurikagome metals. We previously reported on the growth of the LnTi 3 Bi 4 (Ln: La–Gd 3+ , Eu 2+ , Yb 2+ ) family, a chemically diverse and exfoliable series of kagome metals with complex and highly anisotropic magnetism. However, unlike the La–Gd analogs, TbTi 3 Bi 4 cannot be synthesized by our previous methodology due to phase competition with crystals of Ln 2–x Ti 6+x Bi 9 (x ~ 1.7–1.2). Here we discuss the phase competition between the LnTi 3 Bi 4 and Ln 2–x Ti 6+x Bi 9 families, helping to frame the difficulty in synthesizing LnTi 3 Bi 4 compounds with small Ln species and providing a strategy to circumvent the formation of Ln 2–x Ti 6+x Bi 9 . Detailed characterization of the magnetic and electronic transport properties on single crystals of TbTi 3 Bi 4 reveals a highly complex landscape of magnetic phases arising from an antiferromagnetic ground state. A series of metamagnetic transitions creates at least 5 unique magnetic phase pockets, including a 1/3 and 2/3 magnetization plateau. Further, the system exhibits an intimate connection between the magnetism and magnetotransport, exhibiting sharp switching from positive (+40%) to negative magnetoresistance (–50%). Like the LnTi 3 Bi 4 kagome metals, the Ln 2–x Ti 6+x Bi 9 family exhibits quasi-2D networks of titanium and chains of rare earth. Finally, we present the structures and some basic magnetic properties of the Ln 2–x Ti 6+x Bi 9 family alongside our characterization of the newly discovered TbTi 3 Bi 4 .

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2022

Positive spin Hall magnetoresistance in single-crystalline Pt/CoO(001) bilayers

Here, the spin Hall magnetoresistance (SMR) effect in single-crystalline Pt/CoO(001) bilayers has been systematically investigated. X-ray magnetic linear dichroism measurements prove that CoO antiferromagnetic (AFM) spins can be switched into the direction orthogonal to the applied field. We find the SMR signal is comprised of two components related to either the switching of CoO AFM Néel order or the applied strong field effect. Both SMR components show a “positive” angular dependence with $R_{∥} > R_{⊥}$, while $R_{∥} (R_{⊥})$ is defined as the resistance with the applied in-plane field parallel (perpendicular) to the current. The observed positive SMR is mainly attributed to the uncompensated spins at the Pt/CoO interface, instead of the CoO AFM spins. Our study may attract a great deal of interest to understand the complicated SMR effect in AFM spintronics materials.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Spin Waves and Magnetic Exchange Hamiltonian in CrSBr

Abstract CrSBr is an air‐stable two‐dimensional (2D) van der Waals semiconducting magnet with great technological promise, but its atomic‐scale magnetic interactions—crucial information for high‐frequency switching—are poorly understood. An experimental study is presented to determine the CrSBr magnetic exchange Hamiltonian and bulk magnon spectrum. The A ‐type antiferromagnetic order using single crystal neutron diffraction is confirmed here. The magnon dispersions are also measured using inelastic neutron scattering and rigorously fit the excitation modes to a spin wave model. The magnon spectrum is well described by an intra‐plane ferromagnetic Heisenberg exchange model with seven nearest in‐plane exchanges. This fitted exchange Hamiltonian enables theoretical predictions of CrSBr behavior: as one example, the fitted Hamiltonian is used to predict the presence of chiral magnon edge modes with a spin‐orbit enhanced CrSBr heterostructure.

2D materials↗
DOE OSTI2019

Stability Diagrams of a Tunnel Nanoheterostructure in the Free-Electron Approximation

One of important characteristics of a magnetic tunneling junction (MTJ) nanoheterostructure that is used as magnetic random access memory (MRAM) cell and is switched by the spin transfer torque (STT) effect is its stability diagram, which determines the range of values of the external magnetic field and applied voltage under which a cell is in one of two stable states. To numerically construct such diagrams, one usually uses the solution of the Landau–Lifshitz dynamic equation in the single-domain approximation along with phenomenological constants that determine the values of spin torque in the material. In the present paper, the problem of spin-dependent electron transfer in an MTJ structure is considered, whose solution in the free-electron approximation allows one to calculate the values of spin torque for a given material in any magnetic configuration of the system and apply them to the integration of the Landau–Lifshitz equation. The method used allows one to more precisely reproduce the shape of the stability diagram and predict the critical values of the magnetic field and voltage necessary to switch an MTJ-based MRAM cell.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Spin-transfer switching of orthogonal spin-valve devices at cryogenic temperatures

We present the quasi-static and dynamic switching characteristics of orthogonal spin-transfer devices incorporating an out-of-plane magnetized polarizing layer and an in-plane magnetized spin valve device at cryogenic temperatures. Switching at 12 K between parallel and anti-parallel spin-valve states is investigated for slowly varied current as well as for current pulses with durations as short as 200 ps. We demonstrate 100% switching probability with current pulses 0.6 ns in duration. We also present a switching probability diagram that summarizes device switching operation under a variety of pulse durations, amplitudes, and polarities.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2019

Low voltage drop, cross-field, gas switch and method of operation

A gas switch includes an anode and a cathode spaced apart from the anode, wherein the cathode includes a conduction surface. The gas switch also includes a plurality of magnets arranged to generate a magnetic field that defines an annular path over a portion of the conduction surface at a radial distance from a switch axis, and a control grid positioned between the anode and the cathode. In operation, the control grid is arranged to establish a conducting plasma between the anode and the cathode, wherein, in the presence of the conducting plasma, a voltage drop between the anode and the cathode is less than 150 volts, and wherein the conducting plasma forms a cathode spot that circles the annular path.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2016

Non-Volatile Ferroelectric Switching of Ferromagnetic Resonance in NiFe/PLZT Multiferroic Thin Film Heterostructures

Magnetoelectric effect, arising from the interfacial coupling between magnetic and electrical order parameters, has recently emerged as a robust means to electrically manipulate the magnetic properties in multiferroic heterostructures. Challenge remains as finding an energy efficient way to modify the distinct magnetic states in a reliable, reversible and non-volatile manner. Here we report ferroelectric switching of ferromagnetic resonance in multiferroic bilayers consisting of ultrathin ferromagnetic NiFe and ferroelectric Pb 0.92 La 0.08 Zr 0.52 Ti 0.48 O 3 (PLZT) films, where the magnetic anisotropy of NiFe can be electrically modified by low voltages. Ferromagnetic resonance measurements confirm that the interfacial charge-mediated magnetoelectric effect is dominant in NiFe/PLZT heterostructures. Non-volatile modification of ferromagnetic resonance field is demonstrated by applying voltage pulses. The ferroelectric switching of magnetic anisotropy exhibits extensive applications in energy-efficient electronic devices such as magnetoelectric random access memories, magnetic field sensors and tunable radio frequency (RF)/microwave devices.

42 ENGINEERING↗