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Program Highlights for year 2007

A New Generation of Spintronic Devices: MgO Magnetic Tunneling Junctions

We developed a low-pressure magnetron sputtering technique together with the linear dynamic deposition method and successfully fabricated a new type of magnetic tunneling junctions (MTJs) with (001) textured MgO barrier.

Secondary Teacher Interacting with Materials Professors Strikes Gold

Background: The JHU MRSEC conducts extensive K-12 educational outreach programs aimed at promoting interest in and awareness of the importance of modern materials research.

Domains and Domain Wall Motion in Perpendicular Anisotropy Materials

Magnetic thin films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) have special attributes for explorations and perpendicular magnetic recording. We have observed three hitherto unknown new features in materials with PMA: 1. Asymmetrical domain nucleation centers that produce domains for only one magnetization direction (Fig. 1).

Molecular Nano-Ring Beats Like a Chime

Perfect rings of C60 molecules, lined up around circular layers of silver, reveal an important property of nanoelectronic contacts: thermal energy causes

Novel multiferroic thin film memory devices

Electric-field tunable spin valves are being investigated

Discovery of a Pb-free morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) in a high Tc piezoelectric perovskite

Piezoeletric materials are used for a variety of actuator and sensor applications. Finding a Pb-free replacement for the popular Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 has been a major challenge for the community.

High-performance Transparent Inorganic-organic Hybrid Thin-film n-type Transistors

Thin-film transistors, already indispensable in a number of portable electronics, would benefit from optical transparency and compatibility with flexible, lightweight plastics.

Structural and Morphological Control of Multifunctional Oxide Nanostructures at Multi-dimensions

Oxide ceramics are ubiquitous in modern society- ranging from capacitors in electronic gadgets to high-tech displays. In numerous future technologies, it is necessary to "pattern" ceramic oxides in various forms, e.g., dots and lines, at the nanometer scale.

Bringing Technology to the Classroom

The recent MRSEC Teacher Workshop at UCSB was a Great Success. Junior High and High School math and science teachers from Santa Barbara, Ventura and Los Angeles Counties visited the UCSB Materials Research Laboratory for a day of curriculum presentations and workshops.

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