It
sounds like something you might need a bicycle for, but spintronics a
powerful and growing area of study in physics might really have more
in common with a surfboard and its ability to rule the waves.
The term spintronics refers to the study and control of electrons and
the magnetic properties that govern their collective motions, the
spin that gives them tantalizing potential for quantum computing and
communication.
The more commonly known focus of electronics is on the charge of
electrons. This relatively new paradigm focuses on their spin, a quantum
property of electrons, which is always oriented in one of two opposite
directions up or down. That gives them great appeal for use in
information transmission, matching the current binary system that uses
zeros and ones to deliver all manner of data. Learning to control these
properties could revolutionize the speed, storage capacity and security
of our computer systems, using far less energy to do so.
That holy grail quantum computing is still in the future. But the
fundamental research required to bring it to fruition is advancing.
The U.S. Department of Energy on Thursday, Aug. 1 awarded a prestigious Early Career Research Award
to Benjamin Jungfleisch, assistant professor of physics at the
University of Delaware, for his study of magnon spintronics. The magnon
is the tiniest essence the quanta of spin waves and Jungfleisch is
looking at it as a building block in the quantum toolbox.
The award comes with at least $750,000 in research support over the
next five years, according to DOE, and is a high-level signal that
Jungfleischs work shows great promise for advances in the field.
We are proud of Benjamin Jungfleisch and excited about his DOE Early
Career Award, said Prof. Edmund R. Nowak, chair of the Department of
Physics and Astronomy. His novel ideas and technical methods for
studying the fundamental physics in magnetic hybrid systems and
nanostructures will have an important impact on our understanding of how
to control quantum mechanical interactions. His work holds promise to
advance quantum information science in general, and could enable the
ability to engineer new materials for new computing architectures and
paradigms, in particular.
He is one of 73 awardees nationwide, all selected from a large pool
of university- and national laboratory-based applicants, according to
DOE. Selection was based on peer review by outside scientific experts.
Final details for each award are subject to final grant and contract
negotiations between DOE and the awardees.
Supporting our nations most talented and creative researchers in
their early career years is crucial to building Americas scientific
workforce and sustaining Americas culture of innovation, Secretary of
Energy Rick Perry said in a prepared statement. We congratulate these
young researchers on their significant accomplishments to date and look
forward to their achievements in the years ahead.
Jungfleisch joined the faculty at UD in January 2018 after four years of post-doctoral work in the Materials Science Division at Argonne National Lab. Argonne formed a partnership with UD in 2017.
He understands the powerful implications of this work. Making
progress toward quantum computing is a significant objective, for
example, because that revolutionary system increases computing power and
cybersecurity by orders of magnitude over what is now available. It
also offers potential applications in rapid drug design and early
disease detection.
But there are huge challenges to face, Jungfleisch said.
One critical need is finding a way to keep these electron spin machines working longer than is possible now.
That requires a deep understanding of the mechanisms in play and that understanding is what he expects to deliver.
Jungfleisch is looking specifically at how magnons connect with
microwave photons (light particles), a light-matter interaction that
produces quasiparticles called magnon-polaritons. These hybrids have new
properties and possibilities. But these properties and behaviors are
not well understood. He compares the difference created by this coupling
to the change that happens if you take an apple and an orange and make
juice. Its a completely new substance.
He also is looking at magnon interactions with phonons (vibrations).
Understanding these interactions with photons and phonons is essential
to any effort to engineer desirable new materials and devices.
Jungfleisch earned his doctorate in physics at the University of
Kaiserslautern in Germany. His quest for understanding was sparked in
part, he said, by questions that arose while he was reading Goethes
Faust, a legendary tale of one mans relentless, reckless pursuit of
knowledge.
I wanted to understand what holds the world together at its core,
he said. Physics is trying to deliver the answers to those kinds of
questions. Im especially intrigued by fundamental science and its
potential to transform society eventually hopefully, for example, with
these low-energy devices.
He was drawn to UD by the community of researchers focusing on
magnetism and spintronics and materials, he said, and also for access to
the outstanding facilities available, including the UD Nanofabrication Facility and the Advanced Materials Characterization Lab.
None of this would be possible without that, he said.
Article by Beth Miller; photo by Evan Krape
Published Aug. 1, 2019
