Functional Nanostructures And Metamaterials For Superconducting Spintronics

This book demonstrates how the new phenomena in the nanometer scale serve as the basis for the invention and development of novel nanoelectronic devices and how they are used for engineering nanostructures and metamaterials with unusual properties. It discusses topics such as superconducting spin-valve effect and thermal spin transport, which are important for developing spintronics; fabrication of nanostructures from antagonistic materials like ferromagnets and superconductors, which lead to a novel non-conventional FFLO-superconducting state; calculations of functional nanostructures with an exotic triplet superconductivity, which are the basis for novel nanoelectronic devices, such as superconducting spin valve, thin-film superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) and memory-elements (MRAM). Starting with theoretical chapters about triplet superconductivity, the book then introduces new ideas and approaches in the fundamentals of superconducting electronics. It presents various quantum devices based on the new theoretical approaches, demonstrating the enormous potential of the electronics of 21st century - spintronics. The book is useful for a broad audience, including researchers, engineers, PhD graduates, students and others wanting to gain insights into the frontiers of nanoscience.

This thesis constitutes a detailed study of functional nanostructures (ferromagnetic, superconducting, metallic and semiconducting) fabricated by focused electron/ion beam induced deposition techniques. The nanostructures were grown using different precursor materials such as Co2(CO)8, Fe2(CO)9, W(CO)6, (CH3)3Pt(CpCH3) and were characterized by a wide range of techniques. This work reports results obtained for the morphology, the microstructure, the composition, the electrical transport mechanism, magnetic and superconducting properties of nanostructures. The results offers exciting prospects in a wide range of applications in nanotechnology and condensed matter physics.

IR and THz technologies are widely used in security screening and surveillance, astronomy, spectroscopy, biomedicine, food and package inspection, detection of concealed weapons, vision through camouflage, etc. There are increasing demands for the fast transmission of large amounts of data. THz radiation penetrates dielectric materials like plastics, ceramics or cardboard allowing contact-free testing. Medical imaging technologies can provide guidance for surgeons in delimiting the margins of tumors, help clinicians to visualize diseased areas, etc. Keywords: THz and IR Detectors, THz and IR Sources, Superconducting Photon Detectors, Superconducting THz Detectors, Graphene-based Detectors, THz Sensors with Metamaterials, Photoconductive Antenna Detectors, Imaging, Communication, Spectroscopy, Sensing, Security Screening, Surveillance, Astronomy, Biomedicine, Food Inspection, Package Inspection, Concealed Weapons Detection, Transmission of Large Amounts of Data, Non-destructive Testing, Contact-free Testing, Medical Imaging Technologies.

Nanomagnetism and spintronics is a rapidly expanding and increasingly important field of research with many applications already on the market and many more to be expected in the near future. This field started in the mid-1980s with the discovery of the GMR effect, recently awarded with the Nobel prize to Albert Fert and Peter Grünberg. The present volume covers the most important and most timely aspects of magnetic heterostructures, including spin torque effects, spin injection, spin transport, spin fluctuations, proximity effects, and electrical control of spin valves. The chapters are written by internationally recognized experts in their respective fields and provide an overview of the latest status.

It used to be difficult to reliably fabricate clean heterostructures using magnetic and superconducting layers. Today this is no longer the case; such reproducible superconductor/ferromagnet heterostructures enable the quantitative study of the rich and varied phenomena associated with ferromagnet/superconductor proximity effects. These structures are eminent, suitable candidates for many switching devices, ranging from non-volatile low power memory elements to quantum computing applications involving Josephson junctions.This book's main purpose is to explain how the equilibrium and transport properties of these heterostructures can be accurately calculated starting from a standard BCS type Hamiltonian. The main techniques, including both analytical and numerical methods, are discussed in detail. Results obtained from these calculations are shown to be in excellent quantitative agreement with experiment.This is a theory book, but the theory is neither abstruse nor esoteric. Knowledge of only introductory graduate physics has been assumed; a solid undergraduate training and a bit of perseverance would also be enough. This book can easily be read and understood by experimentalists, and just about anybody can grasp the basics by referring to the figures and explanations. Quite apart from the manifold applications of superconductor/ferromagnet nanostructures, studying them provides us with considerable insights into fundamental physics and the general study of hybrid nanomaterials.

Explore the state of the art in multiferroic materials with this cutting-edge resource Nanostructured Multiferroics delivers an overview of recent research developments in the area of nanostructured multiferroics, along with their preparation, characterization, and applications. Covering single-phase and composite multiferroics, nanomultiferroics, and multiferroic composites, the book explains their physical properties, the underlying physical principles, and the technology and application aspects of the materials, including energy harvesting and spintronics. With multiferroics undergoing a renaissance of renewed interest and development in the past few years, and with promising new breakthroughs in areas like superconductivity, spintronics, and quantum computing, Nanostructured Multiferroics offers both experienced scientists and young researchers inspirational and informative resources likely to spark ideas for further research. Along with chapters discussing topics such as the specific heat and magnetocaloric properties of manganite-based multiferroics for cryo-cooling applications and the multiferroic properties of barium-doped BiFeO3 particles, further topics are: * A comprehensive discussion about the physical properties of multiferroic nanocomposites * An exploration of the basic theory underpinning a variety of multiferroic interactions * An in-depth analysis of the engineering functionality in nanomultiferroics * An introduction to nanostructured multiferroics accompanied by discussions of their synthesis, characterization, and common applications * A treatment of multiferroic materials, as well as single-phase and composite multiferroics * An examination of the use of nanostructured multiferroics in the field of spintronics Perfect for materials scientists, Nanostructured Multiferroics will also earn a place in the libraries of solid-state physicists and chemists who seek to improve their understanding of the fundamentals of, and recent advances made in, multiferroics. The information contained within will inform anyone working in areas involving superconductivity, quantum computing, and spintronics.

Nanomagnetism and spintronics are two close subfields of nanoscience, explaining the effect of substantial magnetic properties of matter when the materials fabrication is realized at a comparable length size. Nanomagnetism deals with the magnetic phenomena specific to the structures having dimensions in the submicron range. The fact that the electronic transport properties of materials are dependent on the magnetic properties' artificial nanostructures, i.e., giant magnetoresistance (GMR) or tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR), has revolutionized spintronics science and technology. This book explains the concepts of nanomagnetism and spintronics by viewing the most recent research works from internationally distinguished research groups. Placing special emphasis on crucial fundamental and technical aspects of nanomagnetism and spintronics, it serves as a one-stop reference for universities offering postgraduate programs in nanotechnology or related disciplines. This unique book deals with all three stages required for conducting research in nanomagnetism and spintronics including fabrication, characterization and applications of nanomagnetic and spintronics materials, providing general concepts and an insightful overview of this subject for research students and scientists from different backgrounds investigating the multidisciplinary area of nanotechnology.