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| University of Cambridge > Department of Materials Science > Device Materials Group | ||||
Ph.D.
Projects October 2009 |
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The Group is always looking to recruit good PhD students. This page gives a list of possible projects but if you are interested in any of our research activities you should contact any of the senior staff of the Group. For general information on Department studentships, including the application process and eligiblity, please follow this link. Multiferroic and magnetoelectric materials (Neil Mathur)When an electrical signal is applied to a magnetoelectric material then a magnetic response may be generated. The underlying magnetoelectric coupling is of scientific interest and has applications potential. Thin film devices provide a controlled environment in which to investigate magnetoelectric effects. These effects may be particularly large in multiferroic materials that are both ferromagnetic and ferroelectric. Controlling the self-organised phases of manganites (Neil Mathur) Single crystals of magnetic oxides can display magnetic, electronic and crystallographic texture over mesoscopic length scales, provoking dreams of a nanotechnology based on the principles of self-organisation seen in soft matter systems such as polymers. The aim of this project is to control the texture at specific locations in thin film devices.Electric field effects in oxide magnetic materials (Mark Blamire)There is considerable potential for modifiying the properties of many oxide magnetic materials by changing the electric field across them because the number of carriers is rather low. Since the magnetism in many systems is linked to the carrier density it might be possible to control the Curie temperature of some of these oxides electronically which would give considerable scope for magnetoelectronic devices. The aim of this project is to develop field-effect devices which can be used to investigate such effects. Hybrid ferromagnet / superconductor devices (Mark Blamire)Ferromagnetism and superconductivity are essentially incompatible phenomena, but at the interface between the materials a range of unusual physical phenomena can be observed. The aim of this project is to develop devices consisting of superconducting layers separated by ultra-thin ferromagnet layers which will be developed to investigate quantum coherence effects. Shape memory thin films (Zoe Barber)There are many novel applications for shape memory metals in the form of thin films, including a range of medical devices. This project will use precise control of film composition in ternary and quaternary alloys to control mechanical properties and transition temperatures in order to tailor devices to specific applications. Magnetic tunnel barriers (Zoe Barber)Many device applications require a very thin (1-2 nm), insulating tunnel barrier, e.g. superconducting tunnel junctions and ferromagnetic metal/semiconductor interfaces for spin injection. If this barrier is ferromagnetic it becomes a source of highly spin polarized electrons, this project will study the growth, control and optimisation of such barriers with a range of electrode materials.
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| Last modified: 31/01/12 17:47 | ||||
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