We may not think of tiny magnets as major powerhouses, but don’t tell that to Sergei Urazhdin, assistant professor of physics at West Virginia University, and his colleagues. They work with magnetic nanodevices, which are used in communication and information technology. These tiny devices are powering a world of sophisticated technology that we use every day.

His research shows that nanoscale magnetic devices subjected to electrical currents emit magnetization oscillations called spin waves. The most surprising aspect of the results, according to Urazhdin, was that the emission always occurs in a certain, well-defined direction.

In other words, magnetic nanodevices can operate as nanoscale antennae, in some ways similar to those used in radio and TV antennae, emitting waves only in certain, well-defined directions. This discovery can lead to new applications of nanomagnetic devices in communication and information technology to make devices such as computers and cell phones smaller and more energy efficient.

Urazhdin has authored an article about his research findings, Direct Observation and Mapping of Spin Waves Emitted by Spin-torque Nano-oscillators, with Vladislay Demidov and Sergei Demokritov, collaborators from the University of Muenster, Germany.

The article appears in the Oct. 24 advanced online publication of the “Nature Materials.”

This research contributes to WVU’s spintronics research. Spintronics is a field of research and technology aiming to use electron spins instead of electron charges.

A graduate student, Phillip Tabor, has been assisting Urazhdin with this research for almost three years.

“The majority of my early graduate work has been focused on the investigation of novel phenomenon in nanoscale magnetic systems,” Tabor said.

“I fabricate magnets that are thousands of times smaller than the width of a human hair, drive them with electrical current and magnetic field and observe how they behave,” he added.

These systems display a wide variety of behaviors, including the emission of low power microwaves. It is hoped that similar devices can be utilized in the future as nanoscale microwave generators or receivers.

Tabor is also investigating a new class of materials, known as topological insulators. He is researching the possibility of tuning the electrical properties of these materials by varying their growth conditions.

His favorite part of working with Urazhdin is the intellectual freedom he is granted in the lab.

“Sergei is very flexible on the types of projects we work on, so as my interests evolve I am allowed to pursue them,” Tabor said.

He also said they have some unique capabilities which allow them to do elegant experiments and investigate novel physics.

“Nature Materials” is a monthly, peer-reviewed, multi-disciplinary journal aimed at bringing together cutting-edge research across the entire spectrum of materials science and engineering. Materials research is a diverse and fast-growing discipline, which has moved from a largely applied, engineering focus to a position where it has an increasing impact on other classical disciplines such as physics, chemistry and biology. “Nature Materials” covers all applied and fundamental aspects of the synthesis/processing, structure/composition, properties and performance of materials, where “materials” are identified as substances in the condensed states (liquid, solid, colloidal) designed or manipulated for technological ends.

Sergei Urazhdin’s research is supported by the National Science Foundation CAREER Award, the NSF Division of Electrical, Communications and Cyber Systems; and a Cottrell Scholar Award from the Research Corporation in Tucson, Arizona.

He is a member of the WVNano initiative, the State of West Virginia’s focal point for nanoscale science, engineering and education research, workforce development and economic development.

For more information, contact Sergei Urazhdin at Sergei.Urazhdin@mail.wvu.edu.

-WVU-

jh 10/26/10

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