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At least 829 records · Page 46

Metal–organic frameworks: possible new two-dimensional magnetic and topological materials

Finding new two-dimensional (2D) materials with novel quantum properties is highly desirable for technological innovations. In this work, we studied a series of metal–organic frameworks (MOFs) with different metal cores and discovered various attractive properties, such as room-temperature magnetic ordering, strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, huge topological band gap (>200 meV), and excellent spin-filtering performance. As many MOFs have been successfully synthesized in experiments, our results suggest realistic new 2D functional materials for the design of spintronic nanodevices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Fully Distributed Multi-Material Magnetic Sensing Structures for Multiparameter DAS Applications

This dissertation demonstrates the first of its kind distributed magnetic field sensor based on a fiber optic distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) scheme. Ferromagnetic nickel and Metglas® were dispersed internally within a fiber optic preform and then drawn on an in-house fiber optic draw tower to lengths in the kilometers. Due to the close proximity of the ferromagnetic metals and fiber optic core, the magnetostrictive strain response of the ferromagnetic materials when exposed to a magnetic field would perturbate within the fiber cladding and transfer that strain, internally, to the fiber optic core. Strain resulting from the magnetostrictive effect allows the DAS based sensor to accurately translate strain into readable magnetic field data. Due to the high sensitivity seen in this sensor design, multiparameter sources, acoustic and magnetic fields, were tested and validated and a three dimensional magnetic-field vector sensor was proposed. Numerical analysis of the novel sensor design was first implemented using COMSOL Multiphysics, where inputs such as magnetostrictive element shape, size, distance, and number were first investigated. Upon optimizing system constraints, the sensor design was further modified such that single mode operation was consistent across multiple fiber draws while retaining high strain transfer from the ferromagnetic elements to the fiber optic core. Ferromagnetic material selection was evaluated as a function of the saturation magnetostriction constants and a total of 4 modules were used to fully characterize the complex physics involved in this sensor design. All fabrication and testing were performed in-house using a full scale 3-story fiber draw tower and custom environmental testing stations to imitate naturally occurring events such as magnetic or acoustic point sources. A unique stacking method was used to embed ferromagnetic nickel and Metglas® into a fiber optic preform which when combined with a custom fiber draw process resulted in consistent multi-material fibers drawn to lengths of 1-km. In-house testing facilities included different types of electromagnetic generators, in addition to a soil test bed, and an outdoor test bed which allowed 100 meters of fiber to be tested simultaneously. All tested sensors demonstrated high strain transfer capabilities on the order of 0.01-10 μϵ depending on the materials used, ferromagnetic rod number, and core to metal spacing. Due to the sensitivity of the system the difference between AC and DC was distinct, and directional magnetostriction was studied. Transverse and longitudinal magnetic wave propagation was controlled through a solenoid and rectangular Helmholtz coil, both built in-house. A three-dimensional magnetic field vector sensor was proposed due to the success of the magnetic field sensor, and a design was proposed and initially tested to validate direction as a function of field strength and distance. To summarize, this dissertation explores the first fully distributed magnetic field sensor using DAS based techniques and one of the first multi-material fiber draw processes which can produce consistent single mode fiber up to 1-km. Due to extensive FEA modeling, multiple iterations of the magnetic sensor were fully characterized and an equation describing the relationship between sensor design and strain transfer has been created and validated experimentally. Multi-parameter tests including acoustic and magnetic fields were implemented and an algorithm was developed to separate the mixed signals. Finally, a test was performed to demonstrate the feasibility of sensing magnetic fields directionally. Cumulative results demonstrate a high-quality sensor alternative to current designs which may surpass other magnetic sensors due to innate multi-parameter capabilities, in addition to the inexpensive production cost and extremely long operating lengths.

02 PETROLEUM↗

Thermodynamic and Kinetic Transitions of Liquids in Nanoconfinement

Core principles of chemistry are ubiquitously invoked to shed light on the nature of molecular level interactions in nanoconfined fluids, which play a pivotal role in a wide range of processes in geochemistry, biology, and engineering. A detailed understanding of the physicochemical processes involved in the flow, structural transitions, and freezing or melting behavior of fluids confined within nanometer-sized pores of solid materials is thus of enormous importance for both basic research and technological applications. This Account provides a perspective on new insights into the thermodynamic and kinetic transitions of nanoconfined fluids in their stable and metastable forms. After briefly introducing the unique properties of mesoporous silicas from the SBA, MCM, and FDU families that serve as the confinement matrices, combining highly ordered single and bimodal mesopore architectures with tunable pore sizes in the ~2-15 nm range and narrow size distributions, recent studies on melting/freezing behavior of water confined in these host matrices are reviewed. While differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) reveals a linear relationship between melting point depression and pore size (independent of the pore shape), as predicted by the Gibbs-Thomson relation, variable temperature 2 H wide-line nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy studies confirm the core-shell model of water and give evidence for a layer-by-layer freezing mechanism, which gives rise to an apparent fragile-to-strong transition in the solidification dynamics. In contrast to the freezing/melting behavior of water, the effect of nanoconfinement on the glass transition of supercooled liquids is nonuniversal and the glass transition temperature T g can either increase or decrease with the dimensionality and extent of confinement. This nonuniversal behavior is exemplified by the two glass-forming molecular liquids, glycerol and ortho-terphenyl (OTP). While glycerol shows an increase in T g and a pronounced slowdown of the rotational dynamics of the constituent molecules due to a change in the molecular packing between the bulk and the confined liquid, OTP displays a linear and confining-media-dependent depression of T g with increased confinement that is strongly influenced by the pore-liquid interface characteristics. This Account concludes with a focus on recent experimental evidence of extreme spatial and dynamical heterogeneity in both freezing and glass transition processes. This discovery was enabled by the unique mesoporous structures of SBA-16 and FDU-5, possessing bimodal architectures with two interconnected pore types of different size and shape (spherical and cylindrical). For the very first time, two melting points for water and two glass transitions for supercooled OTP, corresponding to a specific pore type, were observed. Collectively, these observations strongly suggest a close mechanistic connection between the local fluctuations in the structure and dynamics of nanoconfined liquids. Finally, while the findings reviewed in this Account provide new insights into thermodynamic and kinetic transitions of fluids, there remain many unanswered questions regarding the effects of nanoconfinement on the fundamental properties of fluids, which offer exciting future opportunities in chemical research.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗

Local measurements of tearing mode flows and the magnetohydrodynamic dynamo in the Madison Symmetric Torus reversed-field pinch

The first localized measurements of tearing mode flows in the core of a hot plasma are presented using nonperturbing measurements of the impurity ion flow. Emission from charge exchange recombination is collected by a novel high optical throughput duo spectrometer providing localized ({+-}1 cm) measurements of C{sup +6} impurity ion velocities resolved to <500 m/s with high bandwidth (100 kHz). Poloidal tearing mode flows in the Madison Symmetric Torus reversed-field pinch are observed to be localized to the mode resonant surface with a radial extent much broader than predicted by linear magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) theory but comparable to the magnetic island width. The relative poloidal flow amplitudes among the dominant core modes do not reflect the proportions of the magnetic amplitudes. The largest correlated flows are associated with modes having smaller magnetic amplitudes resonant near the midradius. The MHD dynamo due to these flows on the magnetic axis is measured to be adequate to balance the mean Ohm's law during reduced tearing activity and is significant but does not exclude other dynamo mechanisms from contributing during a surge in reconnection activity.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Simultaneous in-situ synthesis and characterization of Co@Cu core-shell nanoparticle arrays

Core-shell nanostructures have attracted much attention due to their unique and tunable properties relative to bulk structures of the same materials, making core-shell nanoparticles candidates for a variety of applications with multiple functionalities. [1,2] Intriguing magnetic behavior can be tailored by variation of size, interface, crystal orientation, and composition, and core-shell nanostructures with noble-metal shells yield novel optical responses [3] and enhanced electrocatalytic activity. [4]

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Application of Relatively High Permeability Fe-Si-Al Powder Cores to Common Mode Chokes

We have developed a novel common mode choke made of Fe-Si-Al powder core which exhibits relatively high permeability (μ{sub i}), up to 147, and high saturation magnetic induction (B{sub S}). A common mode choke made of Fe-Si-Al powder core exhibits good DC bias characteristics of common mode inductance because of the high B{sub S}. Furthermore, the common mode choke shows excellent impedance performance because of frequency stability of the μ{sub i}. It is concluded that relatively high permeability Fe-Si-Al powder core is suitable as a core material for common mode chokes in the work condition of big common mode currents and a wide frequency range (10 kHz–30 MHz).

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

DIRECT OBSERVATIONAL EVIDENCE OF FILAMENT MATERIAL WITHIN INTERPLANETARY CORONAL MASS EJECTIONS

Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are explosive events that escape the Sun's corona carrying solar material and energy into the heliosphere. The classic picture of a CME observed in the corona presents a 'three-part structure', including a bright front at the leading edge indicating dense plasma, a low-density cavity, the possible signature of an embedded magnetic flux rope, and the so-called core, a high-density region observed to be associated with an erupting filament. Although there are experimental analogs to the first two parts of the CME when observed in situ, there are only a handful of in situ observations of cold, filament-type plasma. This has been a source of major uncertainty and qualitative disagreement between remote and in situ observations of these ejecta. We present the first comprehensive and long-term survey of such low charge states observed by the Advanced Composition Explorer Solar Wind Ion Composition Spectrometer, using a novel data analysis process developed to identify ions with low ionic charge states. Using a very stringent set of observational signatures, we find that more than 4% of detected interplanetary CMEs have significant contributions of ions with low charge states. These time periods of low-charge ions often occur concurrent with some of the hottest ions, previously interpreted to be affected by flare heating during the CME initiation.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Watermelon-like iron nanoparticles: Cr doping effect on magnetism and magnetization interaction reversal

Chromium (Cr) forms a solid solution with iron (Fe) lattice when doped in core-shell iron -iron oxide nanocluster (NC) and shows a mixed phase of sigma (σ) FeCr and bcc Fe. The Cr dopant affects heavily the magnetization and magnetic reversal process, and causes the hysteresis loop to shrink near the zero field axis. Dramatic transformation happens from dipolar interaction (0 at. % Cr) to strong exchange interaction (8 at. % of Cr) is confirmed from the Henkel plot and delta M plot, and is explained by a water-melon model of core-shell NC system.

Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory↗

Spin-selective evolution of the Zhang-Rice state in binary transition metal oxide MnO(001) film

Here, the Zhang-Rice (ZR) state is a strongly hybridized bound state formed by transition-metal and oxygen atoms. The spin fluctuations within the ZR state are known to play an important role in high-T c superconductivity in cuprates. Here, we employ a combination of angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), x-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), and ab initio embedded dynamical mean-field theory (eDMFT) to investigate the influence of magnetic ordering on the spectral characteristics of the valence band and Mn 2⁢p core-level in MnO (001) ultrathin films. Our results demonstrate that a complex spin-selective evolution of Mn 3⁢d-O2⁢p hybridization develops due to the long-range antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering. This hybridization significantly alters the spectral shape and weight of the ZR state. Specifically, in the AFM phase, we observed the sharpening of the ZR state and band folding with the periodicity of the AFM unit cell of MnO(001). We also demonstrated a strong connection between the spectral evolution of the ZR state and the non-local screening channels of the photoexcited core holes. Further, our detailed temperature-dependent study reveals the presence of short-range antiferromagnetic correlations that exist at much higher temperatures than Neel temperature (T N ) and shows the evolution of the ZR state across the magnetic transitions and its implication to the core-hole screening in 3⁢d binary transition metal oxides.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗

Effect of Magnetic Islands on Neoclassical Heat Diffusivity in a Global Tokamak Simulation

Resonant magnetic perturbations (RMPs) alter magnetic field topology via island formation and can modify core transport in toroidal fusion devices. Using the global gyrokinetic particle‐in‐cell code XGC‐S, originally developed for stellarator geometries, we quantify how island topology affects neoclassical heat transport in a circular tokamak with ($m,n$) = (5,2) RMP‐induced islands. Electron radial heat diffusivity exhibits a two‐peak structure with a dominant enhancement near the O/X‐point region and a secondary peak at the outer island boundary, whereas ion transport remains close to the neoclassical prediction. The observed electron diffusivity is strongly enhanced over the neoclassical baseline but remains well below the Rechester–Rosenbluth estimate, consistent with the non‐ergodic character of the island topology. The density dependence of diffusivity is weaker inside the islands than outside, indicating the presence of topology‐driven transport channels that do not depend strongly on collisionality. Two‐dimensional heat flux maps reveal an up–down antisymmetric structure at the island separatrices consistent with magnetic gradient and curvature drift effects, in contrast to the symmetric temperature flattening inside the islands. These results identify topology‐dependent avenues for electron heat transport in RMP‐perturbed cores and suggest regimes in which island geometry, rather than collisions alone, governs radial transport.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Fast ignition realization experiment with high-contrast kilo-joule peta-watt LFEX laser and strong external magnetic field

A petawatt laser for fast ignition experiments (LFEX) laser system [N. Miyanaga et al., J. Phys. IV France 133, 81 (2006)], which is currently capable of delivering 2 kJ in a 1.5 ps pulse using 4 laser beams, has been constructed beside the GEKKO-XII laser facility for demonstrating efficient fast heating of a dense plasma up to the ignition temperature under the auspices of the Fast Ignition Realization EXperiment (FIREX) project [H. Azechi et al., Nucl. Fusion 49, 104024 (2009)]. In the FIREX experiment, a cone is attached to a spherical target containing a fuel to prevent a corona plasma from entering the path of the intense heating LFEX laser beams. The LFEX laser beams are focused at the tip of the cone to generate a relativistic electron beam (REB), which heats a dense fuel core generated by compression of a spherical deuterized plastic target induced by the GEKKO-XII laser beams. Recent studies indicate that the current heating efficiency is only 0.4%, and three requirements to achieve higher efficiency of the fast ignition (FI) scheme with the current GEKKO and LFEX systems have been identified: (i) reduction of the high energy tail of the REB; (ii) formation of a fuel core with high areal density using a limited number (twelve) of GEKKO-XII laser beams as well as a limited energy (4 kJ of 0.53-μm light in a 1.3 ns pulse); (iii) guiding and focusing of the REB to the fuel core. Laser–plasma interactions in a long-scale plasma generate electrons that are too energetic to efficiently heat the fuel core. Three actions were taken to meet the first requirement. First, the intensity contrast of the foot pulses to the main pulses of the LFEX was improved to >10{sup 9}. Second, a 5.5-mm-long cone was introduced to reduce pre-heating of the inner cone wall caused by illumination of the unconverted 1.053-μm light of implosion beam (GEKKO-XII). Third, the outside of the cone wall was coated with a 40-μm plastic layer to protect it from the pressure caused by imploding plasma. Following the above improvements, conversion of 13% of the LFEX laser energy to a low energy portion of the REB, whose slope temperature is 0.7 MeV, which is close to the ponderomotive scaling value, was achieved. To meet the second requirement, the compression of a solid spherical ball with a diameter of 200-μm to form a dense core with an areal density of ∼0.07 g/cm{sup 2} was induced by a laser-driven spherically converging shock wave. Converging shock compression is more hydrodynamically stable compared to shell implosion, while a hot spot cannot be generated with a solid ball target. Solid ball compression is preferable also for compressing an external magnetic field to collimate the REB to the fuel core, due to the relatively small magnetic Reynolds number of the shock compressed region. To meet the third requirement, we have generated a strong kilo-tesla magnetic field using a laser-driven capacitor-coil target. The strength and time history of the magnetic field were characterized with proton deflectometry and a B-dot probe. Guidance of the REB using a 0.6-kT field in a planar geometry has been demonstrated at the LULI 2000 laser facility. In a realistic FI scenario, a magnetic mirror is formed between the REB generation point and the fuel core. The effects of the strong magnetic field on not only REB transport but also plasma compression were studied using numerical simulations. According to the transport calculations, the heating efficiency can be improved from 0.4% to 4% by the GEKKO and LFEX laser system by meeting the three requirements described above. This efficiency is scalable to 10% of the heating efficiency by increasing the areal density of the fuel core.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Bifunctional Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu{sup 3+}nanocomposites obtained by the homogeneous precipitation method

Graphical abstract: The TEM images reveal clearly the core–shell structures because of the obvious difference in contrast between the central part and the fringe, which indicates the Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu{sup 3+} layer had successfully deposited on the magnetite Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} cores. And Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu{sup 3+} nanoparticles keep the spherical morphology, non-aggregation and rough surface. The images reveal that the average diameters of the Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} and Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu{sup 3+} nanoparticles are ∼200 nm and ∼250 nm, respectively. The thickness of Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu{sup 3+} layer is ∼25 nm. Highlights: ► Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu{sup 3+} nanocomposites were synthesized by homogeneous precipitation method. ► Formation of core–shell nanostructure revealed by transmission electron microscopy. ► Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu{sup 3+} nanocomposites showed magnetic behavior and fluorescence properties. ► Possible applications including bioseparation, drug delivery system, bio-labels, etc. - Abstract: An easy homogeneous precipitation method was developed for the synthesis of bifunctional magnetic-fluorescent nanocomposites with Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} nanoparticles as the core and europium-doped gadolinium oxide (Gd{sub 2}O{sub 3}:Eu{sup 3+}) as the shell. The nanocomposites showed both strong magnetic behavior and unique Eu-related fluorescence properties with a high emission intensity, which may lead to development of nanocomposites with great potential for applications in drug targeting, biosensors, and diagnostic analysis.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗

Experimental Observation of Magnetic Island Heteroclinic Bifurcation in Tokamaks

We report empirical observations of magnetic island heteroclinic bifurcation for the first time. This behavior is observed in interacting coupled 2/1 tearing modes in the core of a DIII-D tokamak plasma. Poincaré maps constrained by measured magnetic amplitudes and phasing show bifurcation from heteroclinic to homoclinic topology in the 2/1 island as the 4/2 relative amplitude (R 4/2 ) decreases. Initially, the local electron temperature peak in the 2/1 island splits, consistent with two O points. As R 4/2 decreases a single peak forms, consistent with one O point. Lastly, these call for developing tearing stability theory and control solutions for heteroclinic islands in tokamaks.

70 PLASMA PHYSICS AND FUSION TECHNOLOGY↗

Fantastic Striations and Where to Find Them: The Origin of Magnetically Aligned Striations in Interstellar Clouds

Thin, magnetically aligned striations of relatively moderate contrast with the background are commonly observed in both atomic and molecular clouds. They are also prominent in MHD simulations with turbulent converging shocks. The simulated striations develop within a dense, stagnated sheet in the midplane of the post-shock region where magnetically induced converging flows collide. We show analytically that the secondary flows are an inevitable consequence of the jump conditions of oblique MHD shocks. They produce the stagnated, sheet-like sub-layer through a secondary shock when, roughly speaking, the Alfvénic speed in the primary converging flows is supersonic, a condition that is relatively easy to satisfy in interstellar clouds. The dense sub-layer is naturally threaded by a strong magnetic field that lies close to the plane of the sub-layer. The substantial magnetic field makes the sheet highly anisotropic, which is the key to the striation formation. Specifically, perturbations of the primary inflow that vary spatially perpendicular to the magnetic field can easily roll up the sheet around the field lines without bending them, creating corrugations that appear as magnetically aligned striations in column density maps. On the other hand, perturbations that vary spatially along the field lines curve the sub-layer and alter its orientation relative to the magnetic field locally, seeding special locations that become slanted overdense filaments and prestellar cores through enhanced mass accumulation along field lines. In our scenario, the dense sub-layer, which is unique to magnetized oblique shocks, is the birthplace for both magnetically aligned diffuse striations and massive star-forming structures.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗

Generation of bright phase-matched circularly-polarized extreme ultraviolet high harmonics

Circularly-polarized extreme ultraviolet and X-ray radiation is useful for analysing the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of materials. To date, such radiation has only been available at large-scale X-ray facilities such as synchrotrons. Here, we demonstrate the first bright, phase-matched, extreme ultraviolet circularly-polarized high harmonics source. The harmonics are emitted when bi-chromatic counter-rotating circularly-polarized laser pulses field-ionize a gas in a hollow-core waveguide. We use this new light source for magnetic circular dichroism measurements at the M-shell absorption edges of Co. We show that phase-matching of circularly-polarized harmonics is unique and robust, producing a photon flux comparable to linearly polarized high harmonic sources. Furthermore, this work represents a critical advance towards the development of table-top systems for element-specific imaging and spectroscopy of multiple elements simultaneously in magnetic and other chiral media with very high spatial and temporal resolution.

74 ATOMIC AND MOLECULAR PHYSICS↗

Preparation of RE(DBM){sub 3}·Phen (RE=Eu{sup 3+},Tb{sup 3+}) Plate-Loading Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} Nanospheres and their Magnetic-Optic Bifunctional Property

A facile wet chemical method has been used to synthesize bifunctional core-shell nanoparticles of Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4}@RE(DBM){sub 3}·Phen (RE=Eu{sup 3+},Tb{sup 3+}) showing an interesting combination of magnetic and luminescent properties. This method is convenient, cheap, and efficient. The morphology, structure, luminescent, and magnetic properties of the nanoparticles were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), UV-vis absorption, fluorescence emission, and superconducting quantum interference device magnetometer (SQUID-VSM). The maximum emission peaks of novel Eu{sup 3+} and Tb{sup 3+} nanocomposites are at 618 nm and at 514 nm, respectively. And their corresponding special saturation magnetization Ms. are 25.853 emu/g and 24.015 emu/g, respectively. For the nanoparticles, it is shown that there have better magnetic behavior and they may act as red- and green-emitting material with potential application for fluorescent magnetic particle testing. Moreover, this chemical route could be used to obtain the development of several bifunctional systems of other rare earth ions for practical application.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗

Inductor Geometry With Improved Energy Density

The "constant-flux" concept is leveraged to achieve high magnetic-energy density, leading to inductor geometries with height significantly lower than that of conventional products. Techniques to shape the core and to distribute the winding turns to shape a desirable field profile are described for the two basic classes of magnetic geometries: those with the winding enclosed by the core and those with the core enclosed by the winding. A relatively constant flux distribution is advantageous not only from the density standpoint, but also from the thermal standpoint via the reduction of hot spots, and from the reliability standpoint via the suppression of flux crowding. In this journal paper on a constant-flux inductor (CFI) with enclosed winding, the foci are operating principle, dc analysis, and basic design procedure. Prototype cores and windings were routed from powder-iron disks and copper sheets, respectively. The design of CFI was validated by the assembled inductor prototype.

Cui, H↗

Cr-Doped Ge-Core/Si-Shell Nanowire: An Antiferromagnetic Semiconductor

An antiferromagnet offers many important functionalities such as opportunities for electrical control of magnetic domains, immunity from magnetic perturbations, and fast spin dynamics. Introducing some of these intriguing features of an antiferromagnet into a low dimensional semiconductor core–shell nanowire offers an exciting pathway for its usage in antiferromagnetic semiconductor spintronics. Here, using a quantum mechanical approach, we predict that the Cr-doped Ge-core/Si-shell nanowire behaves as an antiferromagnetic semiconductor. In this work, the origin of antiferromagnetic spin alignments between Cr is attributed to the superexchange interaction mediated by the p z orbitals of the Ge atoms that are bonded to Cr. A weak spin–orbit interaction was found in this material, suggesting a longer spin coherence length. The spin-dependent quantum transport calculations in the Cr-doped nanowire junction reveals a switching feature with a high ON/OFF current ratio (~41 times higher for the ON state at a relatively small bias of 0.83 V).

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗