Research Projects

Electrons, negatively charged subatomic entities, are used in conventional electronics for memory and logic. Spintronics, based on electron spin, aims to provide faster and energy-efficient devices for intensive applications like big data and IoT. Research is actively being conducted on spin-based transistors and memory devices. Controlling and manipulating electron spins is crucial in spintronics, which traditionally uses magnetic fields. However, this method faces issues as device dimensions scale down. Alternative technologies like spin transfer torques, thermal gradients, spin orbit torques, optical excitations, voltage-controlled anisotropy, and mechanical stress/strain are being explored. The main topic of this work is the acoustic control of spintronic devices, which originates from magneto elastic interactions between ferromagnetic and piezoelectric materials. Surface acoustic waves using Interdigital Transducer (IDT) structures can be used to achieve these excitations. The study will focus on acoustically driven magnetization dynamics and spin pumping experiments in terfenol thin films, as well as domain wall motion driven by surface acoustic waves. Theoretical work will be done using macrospin and micromagnetic simulations using software like MATLAB and MuMax or OOOMF. Experimental realization will involve fabricating and characterizing devices using standard lithography, deposition, and lift-off techniques. The project requires one lithography system to proceed with this work.