This award supports computational and theoretical research that is well integrated with undergraduate student education.
This initiative aims to advance the theory and computer simulation of magnetic nanowires as they may be used in nanoscale recording devices. Research efforts will be made to understand and advance the manipulation of nanoscale magnetic structures that are needed to understand and control magnetic nanowires and promote their future use in high density and extremely small magnetic recording devices.
The project will engage undergraduate physics majors to participate in carrying out computer simulations. Students will benefit from the research experience and in the process add to their education in magnetic materials and nanotechnology.
New theories and computer simulations will be employed to understand and predict the small magnetic domains that can be created in nanowires. The motion of these small magnetic areas is the subject of current experiments and theories because of the potential application in minute magnetic storage applications. This work employs micromagnetic simulation methods to help test and validate theories and aid in the interpretation of experiments on motion of the magnetic domains.
The primary research issue in advancing the use of magnetic devices is the speed at which magnetic domains change. The combination of nanometer spatial resolution with concurrent picosecond temporal resolution makes micromagnetic simulation an ideal method for studying the field driven domain wall motion in a magnetic nanowire. Dynamic observation of domain wall motion in a magnetic nanowire is difficult experimentally due to the small size of nanowires. The development of faithful simulation methods will yield answers to important questions about domain wall motion in nanowires. Investigations will yield information on dynamic domain wall size and structure. It can be determined what limits the wire dimensions put on the maximum domain wall speed and how the motion of a domain wall depends on the strength and direction of the applied field. Ultimately, this leads to identifying the mechanisms and conditions necessary to increase domain wall speeds.
The results of the proposed simulations are also important to understanding how to manipulate the location of a domain wall in the nanowire which is then the basis for switching and logic. Reliable control of the domain wall location and motion in magnetic nanowires is essential to proposed future generations of magnetic hard drives, as well as the logic devices. The low speed motion of domain walls above the critical field has not been fully explored. Above the critical field, the walls move in uniform steps along the wire. Manipulating the size of these steps could lead to the creation of variable magnetic field sensors which depend on the wall location.
NON-TECHNICAL SUMMARY:
This award supports computational and theoretical research that is well integrated with undergraduate student education.
In this initiative research and education are developed to advance the theory of and the use of computers to simulate magnetic materials for nanoscale recording devices. Research efforts concentrate on understanding and advancing the manipulation of nanoscale magnetic structures that are needed to understand and control magnetic nanodevices and promote their future use in high density and extremely small magnetic recording devices.
The project engages undergraduate physics majors to participate in carrying out the computer simulation. Students benefit from the research experience and in the process add to their education in magnetic materials and nanotechnology.
New theories and computer simulations are employed to understand and predict the small magnetic domains that can be created in nanodevices. The motion of these small magnetic areas is the subject of current experiments and theories because of the potential application in minute magnetic storage applications. This work employs computer simulation methods to help test and validate theories and aid in the interpretation of experiments on motion of the magnetic regions.
The results of the proposed simulations are also important to understanding how to manipulate the location of a magnetic region in the nanowire which is then the basis for switching and logic. Reliable control of the magnetic region location and motion in magnetic nanodevices is essential to future generations of magnetic hard drives, as well as the logic devices. Manipulating the motion could lead to the creation of variable magnetic field sensors which depend on the magnetic region location.
