New material behavior to improve speed and efficiency of technology
In a new study, a team of researchers at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities, led by CEMS Professor Bharat Jalan, discovered surprising magnetic behavior in one of the thinnest metallic oxide materials ever made. This finding could pave the way for the next generation of faster and smarter spintronic and quantum computing devices.
The research is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America (PNAS), a peer-reviewed, multidisciplinary, high-impact scientific journal.
Using an advanced materials growth technique—hybrid molecular beam epitaxy—the researchers created ultra-thin layers of RuO2, a compound typically known for its metallic but nonmagnetic behavior. By applying epitaxial strain to these atomically thin layers—similar to stretching or compressing a rubber band—they were able to induce magnetic properties in a material that is otherwise nonmagnetic.
Learn more about the team and their discoveries at the College of Science and Engineering's website.
Read the full paper entitled, “Metallicity and Anomalous Hall Effect in Epitaxially-Strained, Atomically-thin RuO2 Films, on the PNAS website.