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At least 595 records · Page 33

A High-Voltage High-Reliability Scalable Architecture for Electric Vehicle Power Electronics (Final Report)

This project developed and demonstrated new composite converter technologies that lead to high power density (> 20 kW/L) at power levels of 10s of kW, 100s of kW, or possibly higher, with fundamental advances in converter efficiency and Q that lead to substantial increases in mean time to failure (MTTF). These advantages were realized through development of new composite converter topologies that perform buck, boost, or other conversion functions and that are scalable to higher voltage and power levels through sharing of voltage and current stresses among multiple dissimilar partial-power converter modules. The project led to experimental demonstration of a125 kW multifunction electric vehicle power conversion system having in-creased dc bus voltage (950 V nominal, 1200 V peak) that interfaces a 200 V to 400 V battery pack, and that includes integrated level 2 wired charging and wireless charging functions. The project incorporated SiC MOSFET modules having switching frequencies in excess of 100 kHz, planar magnetics, a hierarchical control architecture that enables scaling to higher voltages and powers with additional converter modules, and a high-power density in excess of 20 kW/L. The research demonstrated how a more complex converter approach can increase mean-time-to-failure, even though the number of elements is increased. This is achieved through significant reduction of temperature rise through fundamentally superior converter circuit topologies. The research also demonstrated new high power planar magnetics that increase power density. The technology is appropriate to a variety of applications including EV power trains, EV charging, PV inverters, battery storage, and similar areas. These systems potentially can be manufactured in the U.S.

33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS↗

Single phase bi-directional AC-DC converter with reduced passive components size and common mode electro-magnetic interference

A bidirectional AC-DC converter is presented with reduced passive component size and common mode electro-magnetic interference. The converter includes an improved input stage formed by two coupled differential inductors, two coupled common and differential inductors, one differential capacitor and two common mode capacitors. With this input structure, the volume, weight and cost of the input stage can be reduced greatly. Additionally, the input current ripple and common mode electro-magnetic interference can be greatly attenuated, so lower switching frequency can be adopted to achieve higher efficiency.

24 POWER TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION↗

20 Channel Quench Detector

A multi-channel quench detector is useful for troubleshooting of prototype HTC superconducting magnets with current lead connections and imbedded splices. There are commercially available quench detectors, but not with as many channels, or with the particular functionality of this unit. This unit was designed specifically for cold testing of a superconducting sextupole prototype, which is wound with many turns of HTC ribbon. Associated with the current lead connections and the imbedded splices are 18 voltage taps, thus 17 quench detection channels are required to monitor the condition of the magnet. Of the 20 differential input channels in this quench detection unit, 19 are configured in a ladder network. The 20th channel is isolated and can be connected across any pair of voltage taps. This quench detector is designed to be used to monitor the condition of a series-connected superconducting magnet powered by a unipolar supply, and therefore the polarity and sequence of the voltage taps must be observed. There are 20 toggle switches and 20 red LEDs on the front panel of the unit which are associated with the 20 quench detection channels. There are also 2 green LEDs to indicate the state of the +5 V and +25 V internal supplies. Channel input impedance is ~10 kΩ. The input lines are diode protected against negative voltage transients and can tolerate up to +25 V, which is greater than the compliance of supplies typically used to power superconducting magnets. The front panel switches are used to enable or disable individual channels. If a channel is not used it is disabled. There are 20 pots on the quench detector PCB. They provide adjustment for the sensitivity of each of the 20 channels. There is an onboard reference to facilitate channel sensitivity calibration. The detection sensitivity range is from ~27 mV to ~700 mV. Typically all channels are set for the same sensitivity. The response time is ~20 μs, but the time constant can be increased if desired by adding a single capacitor to each channel. When the magnet under test is cooled to the superconducting state and the supply current to the windings is slowly ramped up to the set point, if there is a voltage rise across a pair of voltage taps which exceeds the quench detection limit of a given channel, then the front panel LED for that channel illuminates and all other channels are disabled within ~25 ns. Thus only the first quench is detected for the channels which are enabled. A pushbutton switch on the front panel is used to reset a quench detection. A 25 pin D-subminiature connector on the back of the unit is used for the channel inputs. TTL level ‘quench’ and ‘quench-not’ signals, and DPDT relay contacts, are provided through a 9 pin D-subminiature connector on the back to indicate a detected quench condition, which could be used to disable the power supply and engage an energy absorber.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗

Rare-Earth Permanent Magnet SmCo 5 for Chiral Interfacial Spin-Orbitronics

Interfacially asymmetric magnetic multilayers made of heavy metal/ferromagnet have attracted considerable attention in the spintronics community for accommodating spin-orbit torques (SOTs) and meanwhile for hosting chiral spin textures. In these multilayers, the accompanied interfacial Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (iDMI) permits the formation of Néel-type spin textures. While significant progresses have been made in Co, CoFeB, Co 2 FeAl, CoFeGd based multilayers, it would be intriguing to identify new magnetic multilayers that could enable spin-torque controllability and meanwhile host nanoscale skyrmions. In this report, first, thin films made of permanent magnet SmCo 5 with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy are synthesized, in which the deterministic SOT switching, enabled by the spin Hall effect, in Pt/SmCo 5 /Ta trilayer is demonstrated. Further, the stabilization of room-temperature skyrmions with diameters ≈100 nm in [Pt/SmCo 5 /Ta] 15 , together with a skyrmionium-like spin texture in [Pt/SmCo 5 /Ir] 15 multilayers is shown. Based on the material specific parameters, micromagnetic simulations are also carried out. The results confirm the presence of chiral spin textures in this new material family. Through interfacial engineering, the results thus demonstrate that rare earth permanent magnets could be a new platform for studying interfacial chiral spintronics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Nonstochastic magnetic reversal in artificial quasicrystalline spin ice

We have measured the isothermal DC magnetization of Penrose P2 tilings (P2T) composed of wire segments of permalloy thin film. Micromagnetic simulations reproduce the coercive fields and “knee anomalies” observed in experimental data and show magnetic shape anisotropy constrains segments to be single-domain (Ising spins) at low fields, similar to artificial spin ice (ASI). Mirror symmetry controls the initial reversal of individual segments oriented parallel to the applied field, followed by complex switching of multiple adjacent segments (“avalanches”) of various orientations such that closed magnetization loops (“vortices”) are favored. Ferromagnetic P2T differ from previously studied ASI systems due to their aperiodic translational symmetry and numerous inequivalent pattern vertices, which drive nonstochastic switching of segment polarizations.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Switching of perpendicular exchange bias in Pt/Co/Pt/α-Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3}/Pt layered structure using magneto-electric effect

Switching of the perpendicular exchange bias polarity using a magneto-electric (ME) effect of α-Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} was investigated. From the change in the exchange bias field with the electric field during the ME field cooling, i.e., the simultaneous application of both magnetic and electric fields during the cooling, we determined the threshold electric field to switch the perpendicular exchange bias polarity. It was found that the threshold electric field was inversely proportional to the magnetic field indicating that the EH product was constant. The high EH product was required to switch the exchange bias for the film possessing the high exchange anisotropy energy density, which suggests that the energy gain by the ME effect has to overcome the interfacial exchange coupling energy to reverse the interfacial antiferromagnetic spin.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Controlling topology through targeted composite symmetry manipulation in magnetic systems

The possibility of selecting magnetic space groups by orienting the magnetization direction or tuning magnetic orders offers a vast playground for engineering symmetry-protected topological phases in magnetic materials. In this work, we study how selective tuning of symmetry and magnetism can influence and control the resulting topology in a two-dimensional magnetic system, and we illustrate such a procedure in the ferromagnetic monolayer MnPSe 3 . Density functional theory calculations reveal a symmetry-protected accidental semimetallic (SM) phase for out-of-plane magnetization, which becomes an insulator when the magnetization is tilted in-plane, reaching band-gap values close to 100 meV. We identify an order-2 composite antiunitary symmetry and threefold rotational symmetry that induce the band crossing, and we classify the possible topological phases using symmetry analysis, which we support with tight-binding and k · p models. Breaking of inversion symmetry opens a gap in the SM phase, giving rise to a Chern insulator. We demonstrate this explicitly in the isostructural Janus compound Mn 2 ⁢P 2 ⁢S 3 ⁢Se 3 , which naturally exhibits Rashba spin-orbit coupling that breaks inversion symmetry. Our results map out the phase space of topological properties of ferromagnetic transition-metal phosphorus trichalcogenides, and they demonstrate the potential of the magnetization-dependent metal-to-insulator transition as a spin switch in integrated two-dimensional electronics.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Perspective gyrotron with mode converter for co- and counter-rotation operating modes

A gyrotron oscillator operating efficiently at modes of both rotations was developed and tested. The gyrotron operation can be switched between two modes: co- and counter rotating ones with respect to electron rotation in a resonance magnetic field. A synthesized mode converter provides output of both waves in the form of two different paraxial wave beams corresponding to direction of the mode rotation. Measured gyrotron power (up to 2 MW), interaction efficiency (34%), and diffraction losses in the mode converter (≈2%) agree well with the design values. The proposed gyrotron scheme alloys principal enhancement in the device parameters—possibility of electronic switching of output wave beam direction and possibility to arrange an effective scheme to provide frequency/phase locking of a gyrotron-oscillator.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Field-current phase diagrams of in-plane spin transfer torque memory cells with low effective magnetization storage layers

Field-current phase diagrams were measured on in-plane anisotropy Co{sub 60}Fe{sub 20}B{sub 20} magnetic tunnel junctions to obtain the spin transfer torque (STT) field-current switching window. These measurements were used to characterise junctions with varying free layer thicknesses from 2.5 down to 1.1 nm having a reduced effective demagnetizing field due to the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy at CoFeB/MgO interface. Diagrams were obtained with 100 ns current pulses, of either same or alternating polarity. When consecutive pulses have the same polarity, it is possible to realize the STT switching even for conditions having a low switching probability. This was evidenced in diagrams with consecutive pulses of alternating polarity, with 100% switching obtained at 4.7 MA/cm{sup 2}, compared to the lower 3.4 MA/cm{sup 2} value for same polarity pulses. Although the low level of the current density window is higher in alternating polarity diagrams, the field window in both diagrams is the same and therefore independent of the pulse polarity sequence.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Investigations of stacking fault density in perpendicular recording media

In magnetic recording media, the grains or clusters reverse their magnetization over a range of reversal field, resulting in a switching field distribution. In order to achieve high areal densities, it is desirable to understand and minimize such a distribution. Clusters of grains which contain stacking faults (SF) or fcc phase have lower anisotropy, an order lower than those without them. It is believed that such low anisotropy regions reverse their magnetization at a much lower reversal field than the rest of the material with a larger anisotropy. Such clusters/grains cause recording performance deterioration, such as adjacent track erasure and dc noise. Therefore, the observation of clusters that reverse at very low reversal fields (nucleation sites, NS) could give information on the noise and the adjacent track erasure. Potentially, the observed clusters could also provide information on the SF. In this paper, we study the reversal of nucleation sites in granular perpendicular media based on a magnetic force microscope (MFM) methodology and validate the observations with high resolution cross-section transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) measurements. Samples, wherein a high anisotropy CoPt layer was introduced to control the NS or SF in a systematic way, were evaluated by MFM, TEM, and magnetometry. The magnetic properties indicated that the thickness of the CoPt layer results in an increase of nucleation sites. TEM measurements indicated a correlation between the thickness of CoPt layer and the stacking fault density. A clear correlation was also observed between the MFM results, TEM observations, and the coercivity and nucleation field of the samples, validating the effectiveness of the proposed method in evaluating the nucleation sites which potentially arise from stacking faults.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Analysis of over-magnetization of elemental transition metal solids from the SCAN density functional

Current investigations have revealed that the strongly constrained and appropriately normed (SCAN) meta-generalized gradient approximation exchange-correlation functional significantly over-magnetizes elemental Fe, Co, and Ni solids. For the paradigmatic case, bcc Fe, the error relative to experiment is ≳ 20 % . A comparative analysis of magnetization results from SCAN and its deorbitalized counterpart, SCAN-L, leads to identification of the source of the discrepancy. It is not from the difference between Kohn-Sham (SCAN-L) and generalized Kohn-Sham (SCAN) procedures. The key is the iso-orbital indicator α (the ratio of the local Pauli and Thomas-Fermi kinetic energy densities). Its deorbitalized counterpart α L has more dispersion in both spin channels with respect to magnetization in an approximate region between 0.6 and 1.2 bohrs around an Fe nucleus. The overall effect is that the SCAN switching function evaluated with α L reduces the energetic disadvantage of the down channel with respect to up compared to the original α , which in turn reduces the magnetization. This identifies the origin of the SCAN magnetization error as insensitivity of the SCAN switching function to α values in the approximate range 0.5 ≲ α ≲ 0.8 and oversensitivity for α ≳ 0.8 .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

A study on the steady-state solutions of a Bursian diode in the presence of transverse magnetic field, when the electrons of the injected beam are turned back partially or totally

The properties of a steady-state planar vacuum diode driven by a cold electron beam have been investigated in the presence of an external transverse magnetic field, employing both the Eulerian and the Lagrangian formalism. With the help of a numerical scheme, the features of the steady-state solutions have been explored in the Eulerian frame, particularly for the case that corresponds to the potential distributions with a virtual cathode. However, exact analytical formulae for the potential and velocity profiles within the inter-electrode region have been derived with the Lagrangian description. In contrast to the previous work [Phys. Plasmas 22, 042110 (2015)], here we have emphasized the situation when electrons are reflected back to the emitter by the magnetic field. Both partial and complete reflection of the electrons due to the magnetic field have been taken into account. Using the emitter electric field as a characteristic parameter, steady-state solutions have been evaluated for specific values of diode length, applied voltage, and magnetic field strength. It has been shown that, due to the inclusion of the magnetic field, a new region of non-unique solutions appears. An external magnetic field seems to have a profound effect in controlling fast electronic switches based on the Bursian diode.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Structure and Magnetic Properties of Pseudo-1D Chromium Thiolate Coordination Polymers

The synthesis, structure, and magnetic properties of two novel, pseudo-one-dimensional (1D) chromium thiolate coordination polymers (CPs), CrBTT and Cr2BDT3, are reported. The structures of these materials were determined using X-ray powder diffraction revealing highly symmetric 1D chains embedded within a CP framework. The magnetic coupling of this chain system was measured by SQUID magnetometry, revealing a switch from antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic behavior dictated by the angular geometrical constraints within the CP scaffold consistent with the Goodenough–Kanamori–Anderson rules. Intrachain magnetic coupling constants J NN of –32.0 and +5.7 K were found for CrBTT and Cr 2 BDT 3 , respectively, using the 1D Bonner–Fisher model of magnetism. The band structure of these materials has also been examined by optical spectroscopy and density functional theory calculations revealing semiconducting behavior. Furthermore, our findings here demonstrate how CP scaffolds can support idealized low-dimensional structural motifs and dictate magnetic interactions through tuning of geometry and inter-spin couplings.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Room-temperature polarization switching and antiferromagnetic coupling in epitaxial (Ga,Fe){sub 2}O{sub 3}/SrRuO{sub 3} heterostructures

Room-temperature reversible remnant polarization of gallium ferrite thin-films is reported as a multiferroic material with non-zero order parameters of polarization and magnetization. With the addition of Fe ions in Ga sites, Ga{sub 0.6}Fe{sub 1.4}O{sub 3} (GFO) thin films have been considered as potentially promising of multiferroicity. The b-axis oriented epitaxial GFO films were grown on SrRuO{sub 3}(111)/SrTiO{sub 3}(111). The six-fold symmetric in-plane epitaxy of the GFO films was confirmed using X-ray diffraction. The magnetic moment of the films was measured as a function of temperature and external magnetic field, which shows a room-temperature non-zero magnetization. Macroscopic and microscopic methods have been applied to demonstrate the polarization switching of the films. The remnant polarization is measured as 0.05 μC/cm{sup 2}. Reduction of leaky behaviors of the GFO films owing to the conducting oxide of SrRuO{sub 3} will pave a way to take advantage of the room-temperature non-zero multi-orders for future non-volatile memory device applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Switching of Coercivity Process in MnBi Alloys

MnBi-based alloys represent an interesting choice for developing rare earth-free permanent magnets due to the high magnetocrystalline anisotropy of their characteristic low-temperature intermetallic phase (LTIP) with hexagonal structure. In this work, we discuss the switching of coercivity mechanism in MnBi alloys by modulation of their phase distribution and microstructure. As-cast MnBi alloys obtained by suction-casting technique exhibited LTIP interspersed within Bi- and Mn-rich areas. A noticeable coercivity field of 282 kA/m was observed. The coercivity mechanism for this alloy was explained in terms of the nucleation of reverse domains after saturation, by means of the Kronmüller equation, which incorporates the detrimental effect of microstructure defects through fitting parameters associated to reduced intrinsic magnetic properties at grain size boundaries, interfaces, and local demagnetizing fields. Subsequent annealing at 583 K for 24 h produced a marked reduction of coercivity (down to 16 kA/m), reflecting a switching of coercivity process from nucleation to pinning of domain walls. The key microstructural feature determining this variation is the formation/suppression of Bi-rich areas, which promotes the nucleation and growth of the initial MnBi intermetallic phase.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Ferromagnetic resonance of exchange-coupled perpendicularly magnetized bilayers

Strong ferromagnetic interlayer exchange couplings J in perpendicularly magnetized systems are becoming increasingly desirable for applications. We study whether ferromagnetic interlayer exchange couplings can be measured by a combination of broadband ferromagnetic resonance methods and magnetometry hysteresis loops. For this, we model the switching and the eigenexcitations in bilayer systems comprising a soft layer coupled to a thicker harder layer that possesses higher perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. For large J > 0, the switching fields are essentially independent of J but the frequency of the optical eigenmode of the bilayer and the linewidth of the acoustical and optical eigenmode are directly sensitive to the coupling. We derive a corpus of compact analytical expressions to analyze these frequencies, their linewidth and discuss the meaning thereof. We illustrate this corpus on a system mimicking the fixed layers of a magnetic tunnel junction meant for spin torque applications.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗

Magnetic anisotropy in single-crystalline antiferromagnetic Mn 2 Au

Multiple recent studies have identified the metallic antiferromagnet Mn 2 ⁢Au to be a candidate for spintronic applications due to apparent in-plane anisotropy, preserved magnetic properties above room temperature, and current-induced Néel vector switching. Crystal growth is complicated by the fact that Mn 2 ⁢Au melts incongruently. We present a bismuth flux method to grow millimeter-scale bulk single crystals of Mn 2 ⁢Au in order to examine the intrinsic anisotropic electrical and magnetic properties. Flux quenching experiments reveal that the Mn 2 ⁢Au crystals precipitate below 550°⁢C, about 100⁢°⁢C below the decomposition temperature of Mn 2 ⁢Au. Bulk Mn 2 ⁢Au crystals have a room-temperature resistivity of 16–19 µ⁢Ωcm and a residual resistivity ratio of 41. Mn 2 ⁢Au crystals have a dimensionless susceptibility on the order of 10 –4 (SI units), comparable to calculated and experimental reports on powder samples. Single-crystal neutron diffraction confirms the in-plane magnetic structure. The tetragonal symmetry of Mn 2 ⁢Au constrains the ab-plane magnetic susceptibility to be constant, meaning that χ 100 =χ 110 in the low-field limit, below any spin-flop transition. We find that three measured magnetic susceptibilities χ 100 , χ 110 , and χ 001 are the same order of magnitude and agree with the calculated prediction, meaning the low-field susceptibility of Mn 2 ⁢Au is quite isotropic, despite clear differences in ab-plane and ac-plane magnetocrystalline anisotropy. Mn 2 ⁢Au is calculated to have an extremely high in-plane spin-flop field above 30 T, which is much larger than that of another in-plane antiferromagnet, Fe 2 ⁢As (less than 1 T). Finally, the subtle anisotropy of intrinsic susceptibilities may lead to dominating effects from shape, crystalline texture, strain, and defects in devices that attempt spin readout in Mn 2⁢ Au.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Optical control of orbital magnetism in magic angle twisted bilayer graphene

Flat bands in graphene-based moiré structures host a wide range of emerging strongly correlated and topological phenomena. Optically probing and controlling them can reveal important information such as symmetry and dynamics, but have so far been challenging due to the small energy gap compared to optical wavelengths. Here, we report near infrared optical control of orbital magnetism and associated anomalous Hall effects (AHE) in a magic angle twisted bilayer graphene (MATBG) on monolayer WSe$_2$ device. We show that the properties of the AHE, such as hysteresis and amplitude, can be controlled by light near integer moiré fillings, where spontaneous ferromagnetism exists. By modulating the light helicity, we observe periodic modulation of the transverse resistance in a wide range of fillings, indicating light induced orbital magnetization through a large inverse Faraday effect. At the transition between metallic and AHE regimes, we also reveal large and random switching of the Hall resistivity, which are attributed to optical control of percolating cluster of magnetic domains. Our results open the door to optical manipulation of correlation and topology in MATBG and related structures.

FOS: Physical sciences↗