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Highlights

Jul 19, 2007
Stanford University

Verticle Nanopore Bulk Heterojunction Solar Cells

Mike McGehee, Stanford University, Robert D. Miller, IBM Almaden Research Center, Joe DeSimone, University of North Carolina Highlight from Stanford MRSEC 0213618
Jul 19, 2007
Yale University

Plasmon Propagation along Metallic Nanostructures

Marleen van der Veen, Jason Merrill, Mark Reed, Eric Dufresne

Â’ Nanoscale metallic structures are promising platforms for sensors: using photons to launch surface plasmon "polaritons", metallic nanowires can guide and re-emit light over tens of microns. The re-emission of light at the other end of a nanowire can be promoted or altered by adsorption of molecules.
Jul 19, 2007
Yale University

Crystalline oxides on silicon

Yale: Jim Reiner, Fred Walker, T.P. Ma, Agham Posadas, Miamiao Wang, Charles Ahn AMD: Zoran Krivokapic; Spansion: Max Sidorov

Researchers at Yale University have invented a high-performance material for future generations of transistors and devices. New oxide materials are required to make faster computer chips for the future. These new oxides will replace the oxide that has been the standard for the last 50 years, silicon dioxide. To replace silicon dioxide, these new oxides must perform better by having a large dielectric constant and a small leakage current. The oxide LaAlO3 has a dielectric constant that is six times larger than that of silicon dioxide.
Jun 22, 2007
Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Power transfer goes cordless

Members of IRG-I of the MIT MRSEC have recently demonstrated wireless transfers of power on the order of 60W over distances greater than 7 feet, with efficiency of roughly 50%, confirming the predictions of an earlier theoretical paper. The power transfer scheme proposed, dubbed "WiTricity," could be used for wireless charging of autonomous electronic devices (e.g. laptops, cell-phones, iPods).
May 31, 2007
Johns Hopkins University

A New Generation of Spintronic Devices: MgO Magnetic Tunneling Junctions

We developed a low-pressure magnetron sputtering technique together with the linear dynamic deposition method and successfully fabricated a new type of magnetic tunneling junctions (MTJs) with (001) textured MgO barrier. We are the only US university to have achieved this success as of April 2007.
May 31, 2007
Johns Hopkins University

Secondary Teacher Interacting with Materials Professors Strikes Gold

Background: The JHU MRSEC conducts extensive K-12 educational outreach programs aimed at promoting interest in and awareness of the importance of modern materials research. The MRSEC's Research Experience for Teachers (RET) program provides high school teacher the opportunity to conduct research in MRSEC and to use the MRSEC's resources for the development of classroom modules or other materials.
May 31, 2007
Johns Hopkins University

Domains and Domain Wall Motion in Perpendicular Anisotropy Materials

Magnetic thin films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) have special attributes for explorations and perpendicular magnetic recording. We have observed three hitherto unknown new features in materials with PMA: 1. Asymmetrical domain nucleation centers that produce domains for only one magnetization direction (Fig. 1). 2. The backward domain wall motion of the asymmetrical nucleation centers is much faster than that of the forward motion. 3. Magnetic domains with a fixed boundary but fading contrast.