Professor Ashutosh Tiwari from the Department of Materials Science & Engineering receives the National Science Foundation's Faculty Early Career Development Award.
Rare Earth Oxides-based Diluted Magnetic Dielectrics
Recent advances in microfabrication technology have facilitated the production of semiconductor devices with ever-decreasing dimensions. However, as the typical device dimensions approach the nanometer scale, continued miniaturization becomes increasingly difficult. It is believed that any further improvement in device functionality will require a transition from electronics to spintronics. Spintronic devices are expected to be faster and consume less power than the traditional charge-based electronic devices. The most important step in the functioning of a spintronic device is the injection of spin-polarized carriers across the ferromagnet-semiconductor interface. Recent studies have shown that dilutely doped magnetic semiconductors and dielectrics can provide an enabling breakthrough in achieving high spin-injection efficiency. However, most of the work in this field is still focused on only diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS). Little work has been performed on diluted magnetic dielectrics (DMD). This project will start an extensive research program to explore the possibility of inducing room temperature ferromagnetism in Rare Earth Oxide (REO) based high-k dielectrics by dilute doping of transition metal (TM) elements. Successful development of new Diluted Magnetic Materials that show room temperature functionality will have tremendous impact on the progress of spintronics. This program will also lead to the development of numerous educational opportunities for graduate, undergraduate and k-12 students and teachers. Proposed work on introducing science and engineering to minority students will have meaningful societal impact.
About the Award:
The five-year, half a million dollar award will support Tiwari's work in the development of new spintronic materials and devices. The award is one of the National Science Foundation's highest honors for young faculty members, and it recognizes and supports the early career activities of those teachers and scholars who are most likely to become the academic leaders of the future.
About the PI:
Dr. Tiwari received his Ph.D. in Experimental Condensed Matter Physics from the Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur. He has authored more than 55 papers in highly ranked international journals, holds one US Patent and chairs the Superconducting and Magnetic Materials Committee of 'The Minerals, Metals and Materials Society' (TMS). He joined the UU faculty in 2005.
Visit Dr. Tiwari's research lab page: http://www.nmrl.mse.utah.edu/
