A Platform to Develop and Utilise Characterisation Tools for Functional Magnetic Materials
Lead Research Organisation:
Imperial College London
Department Name: Physics
Abstract
Magnetic materials have played an increasingly important role in our society. The Functional Magnetic Materials Group at Imperial College have developed a suite of novel characterisation tools over recent years. This proposal describes how with proper support we could utilise these tools to best effect in the study of materials important for application and develop key new tools as appropriate. The materials we aim to study during the course of the Platform grant fall into four main areas a) ultrathin film narrow gap semiconductors for magnetic sensor technology; b)superconducting materials for low field portable MRI technology; c) materials that allow the harnessing of electron spin d) materials for 300K magnetic refrigeration. The first areas are very much a part of what the group are currently doing however we want to incorporate the new elements such as strain measurements in our Hall probe and point contact facilities and nanoscale sensor fabrication. Our forward look for the group is in the areas of Spintronics and Magnetocalorics. In Spintronics we plan to develop new tools to harness and exploit spin in electrical materials mainly narrow gap semiconductors. Here again there will be an emphasis on nanofabrication of devices. Magnetocalorics is a very new area for the group and a very exciting one. Our characterisation capability is ideally suited to making a really important novel contribution here, particularly with access to higher resolution sensors that will come out of other parts of the program. Overall the group is well connected to a network of international collaborators and many of these have written letters of support for this proposal. It would be our aim to use the Platform in part to strengthen these links as well as seed new collaborations and explore new avenues for funding in Europe and with industrial collaborators.
People |
ORCID iD |
Lesley Cohen (Principal Investigator) |
Publications
Gilbertson A
(2007)
Low-temperature Schottky barrier tunneling in In Sb / In x Al 1 - x Sb quantum well heterostructures
in Physical Review B
Yates K
(2007)
The spin polarization of CrO2 revisited
in Applied Physics Letters
Branford W
(2007)
Temperature insensitivity of the spin-polarization in Co 2 MnSi films on GaAs (001)
in New Journal of Physics
Litvinenko K
(2007)
Spin Dynamics in Narrow-Gap Semiconductor Epitaxial Layers
in Journal of Superconductivity and Novel Magnetism
Moore J
(2007)
The superconducting properties of co-doped polycrystalline MgB 2
in Superconductor Science and Technology
Moore J
(2008)
Local probing of arrested kinetics in Gd 5 Ge 4
in Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter
Ortiz M
(2008)
Structural and Microanalytical Studies of CrO 2 Thin Films on c-Sapphire by High Resolution Electron Microscopy Methods
in Microscopy and Microanalysis
Magnus F
(2008)
A d.c. magnetic metamaterial.
in Nature materials
Chattopadhyay M
(2008)
Visual evidence of the magnetic glass state and its re-crystallization in Gd 5 Ge 4
in EPL (Europhysics Letters)
Description | This grant was a platform grant designed to enable the group to develop bespoke characterisation tools for magnetic materials. We developed an ac calorimeter that was transferred to a UK based company, and Hall probe scanner that is still under discussion regarding transfer to a company for commercial use. Apart from these measurable impacts the tools developed within the grant enabled us to provide insight into the development of new materials for magnetocalorics, for energy efficient magnetic solid state cooling (or heating) applications. |
Exploitation Route | We have worked with a number of companies in the area of magnetocalorics to help them to characterise their materials and develop new materials. |
Sectors | Electronics Energy |
URL | https://www.imperial.ac.uk/people/l.cohen/research.html |
Description | This platform grant facilitated our research into a number of new areas related to electronic materials, sensors and magnetic solid state cooling. |
First Year Of Impact | 2009 |
Sector | Energy |
Description | EPSRC |
Amount | £3,863,046 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/G060940/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 09/2009 |
End | 03/2015 |
Description | EPSRC |
Amount | £401,242 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/F065922/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 08/2008 |
End | 08/2011 |
Description | EPSRC |
Amount | £611,749 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/J014699/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 11/2012 |
End | 10/2015 |
Description | EPSRC |
Amount | £98,621 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/F016271/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 07/2008 |
End | 09/2011 |
Description | EPSRC |
Amount | £445,842 (GBP) |
Funding ID | EP/H040048/1 |
Organisation | Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) |
Sector | Public |
Country | United Kingdom |
Start | 03/2010 |
End | 03/2013 |