Magnetic Nanostructures for Emerging Technologies: Experimental and Theoretical studies. This project enables collaborations between Australian and European groups in an important and expanding area at the forefront of technology, and facilitates access to state of the art resources in laboratories in Austria and Spain. It carries across knowledge in synchrotron techniques just at the right time, just before the Australian synchrotron goes on line in 2008, allowing time to deepen expertise and t ....Magnetic Nanostructures for Emerging Technologies: Experimental and Theoretical studies. This project enables collaborations between Australian and European groups in an important and expanding area at the forefront of technology, and facilitates access to state of the art resources in laboratories in Austria and Spain. It carries across knowledge in synchrotron techniques just at the right time, just before the Australian synchrotron goes on line in 2008, allowing time to deepen expertise and to obtain specific knowledge. It will help establish a new effort at the University of Western Australia concentrated on developing advanced materials for technology. We will make important contributions to an internationally important area and offer high quality interdisciplinary research training in magnetic nanomaterials science.Read moreRead less
Time and frequency resolved magnetometry. Magnetism is well known as a source of fundamental unsolved problems in material physics and condensed matter. It is also an area famous for practical application: the ability to record and read information from magnetic materials is the basis of nearly all mass data storage devices. The aim of this project is to provide first measures of certain key energies and rates associated with magnetic processes. Through a combination of theoretical modelling and ....Time and frequency resolved magnetometry. Magnetism is well known as a source of fundamental unsolved problems in material physics and condensed matter. It is also an area famous for practical application: the ability to record and read information from magnetic materials is the basis of nearly all mass data storage devices. The aim of this project is to provide first measures of certain key energies and rates associated with magnetic processes. Through a combination of theoretical modelling and experiment design, a new experimental technique will be developed into a powerful analysis tool. This work will establish the technique in Australia and create new opportunities for future study.
Read moreRead less
Theoretical and experimental studies of exchange bias in thin films. Films containing layers of different types of magnetic materials - in particular, ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic - have properties which are being exploited in magneto-electronic devices used in recording and manipulation of computer data. These properties are determined by new types of magnetisation processes in the interface between layers. In this project investigations of the magnetic behaviour of interfaces will be ma ....Theoretical and experimental studies of exchange bias in thin films. Films containing layers of different types of magnetic materials - in particular, ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic - have properties which are being exploited in magneto-electronic devices used in recording and manipulation of computer data. These properties are determined by new types of magnetisation processes in the interface between layers. In this project investigations of the magnetic behaviour of interfaces will be made to provide information of value in the design and optimisation of new and existing devices. The procedures to be developed in this project will be applicable to the understanding of the behaviour of a new range of atomically engineered magnetic structures.Read moreRead less
Plastic Solar Cells: Polymers that Harvest Sunlight. Sustainable economic growth for Australia requires renewable, environmentally acceptable energy resources. The most attractive option for the future generation of electrical energy is via the direct conversion of sunlight. The utilisation of solar energy has significant advantages over other energy sources in that it is inexhaustible and does not produce carbon dioxide or other pollutants. Conventional photovoltaic technology is not cost effe ....Plastic Solar Cells: Polymers that Harvest Sunlight. Sustainable economic growth for Australia requires renewable, environmentally acceptable energy resources. The most attractive option for the future generation of electrical energy is via the direct conversion of sunlight. The utilisation of solar energy has significant advantages over other energy sources in that it is inexhaustible and does not produce carbon dioxide or other pollutants. Conventional photovoltaic technology is not cost effective. Solar cells made from conducting polymers present the tantalising possibility of producing cheap electricity from sunlight. This project brings together experts in the physics and chemistry of conducting polymers with the goal of developing efficient plastic solar cells.Read moreRead less
Separating Subtle Interplay between Competing/Cooperating Superconductivity and Magnetism in YBa2Cu3O7-x with Nanotechnology. Superconducting cables can carry 100 to 200 times more electric current than conventional cables. The innovations in this program could enable the widespread commercialization of more efficient types of power generation, transmission, and electrical equipment and devices, offering tremendous energy savings and emissions reductions. It is estimated that ~A$400 million pe ....Separating Subtle Interplay between Competing/Cooperating Superconductivity and Magnetism in YBa2Cu3O7-x with Nanotechnology. Superconducting cables can carry 100 to 200 times more electric current than conventional cables. The innovations in this program could enable the widespread commercialization of more efficient types of power generation, transmission, and electrical equipment and devices, offering tremendous energy savings and emissions reductions. It is estimated that ~A$400 million per year can be saved if high-Tc superconducting wires and cables were to replace conventional metallic conductors. The success of this program will greatly increase scientific understanding of hig-Tc superconductivity and expand Australia's knowledge in the research on high-Tc superconductors. The training will also provide scientific talents to the country.Read moreRead less
Magnetic ground state and dynamics in high temperature superconductors. This project is aimed at studies of novel advanced materials. It will contribute to research at the leading edge of fundamental physics. This is an international project that incorporates collaboration with two leading German experimental groups. This raises the profile of the project internationally. This collaboration may bring some experiments of overseas scientists to ANSTO OPAL reactor and hence facilitate interactions ....Magnetic ground state and dynamics in high temperature superconductors. This project is aimed at studies of novel advanced materials. It will contribute to research at the leading edge of fundamental physics. This is an international project that incorporates collaboration with two leading German experimental groups. This raises the profile of the project internationally. This collaboration may bring some experiments of overseas scientists to ANSTO OPAL reactor and hence facilitate interactions between Australian and overseas experimental groups.Read moreRead less
Does High Temperature Superconductivity Reside in Plane or Charge Reservoir (CR) Oxygen, in YBa2Cu3O7 (YBC)? One of the outstanding problems in contemporary solid state physics concerns the mechanism of high temperature superconductivity (HTS). In particular, what binds charges that normally repel one another, into (Cooper) pairs? Closely related to this question is where the superconductivity resides in the material. We aim to answer the latter question in the much studied prototypical HTS YBa2 ....Does High Temperature Superconductivity Reside in Plane or Charge Reservoir (CR) Oxygen, in YBa2Cu3O7 (YBC)? One of the outstanding problems in contemporary solid state physics concerns the mechanism of high temperature superconductivity (HTS). In particular, what binds charges that normally repel one another, into (Cooper) pairs? Closely related to this question is where the superconductivity resides in the material. We aim to answer the latter question in the much studied prototypical HTS YBa2Cu3O7. In doing so we expect to demonstrate that phonons, widely believed not to play a role in HTS are in fact an important component in the HTS pairing mechanism.Read moreRead less
Development of Advanced Diluted Magnetic Semiconductors for Spin Transistors. Recent advances in diluted magnetic semiconductors hold the promise of surmounting the fundamental limits of silicon technology by exploiting the spin degree of freedom in semiconductors to realize spin-transistors with enhanced functionality, higher speeds and integration densities, and lower power consumption in future. Current transistors are electronic circuits that make up most semiconductors, an international mar ....Development of Advanced Diluted Magnetic Semiconductors for Spin Transistors. Recent advances in diluted magnetic semiconductors hold the promise of surmounting the fundamental limits of silicon technology by exploiting the spin degree of freedom in semiconductors to realize spin-transistors with enhanced functionality, higher speeds and integration densities, and lower power consumption in future. Current transistors are electronic circuits that make up most semiconductors, an international market worth US$200bn in 2003 and this market will grow to US$1000bn per year in next 12 years. In 8 years time, the spin transistor will be on par with electronics. Therefore, success of this program will facilitate the development of spintronic materials and technologies, which have enormous international market, in Australia.Read moreRead less
Theoretical studies of strongly correlated quantum states in novel condensed matter systems. Strongly correlated quantum electronic and magnetic systems represent one of the most active and exciting areas of condensed matter physics, and one that will continue to have a major bearing on technology. We will pursue an extensive program of research into many aspects of this field, using a variety of analytical and numerical methods, in many of which we are among the world leaders. The project will ....Theoretical studies of strongly correlated quantum states in novel condensed matter systems. Strongly correlated quantum electronic and magnetic systems represent one of the most active and exciting areas of condensed matter physics, and one that will continue to have a major bearing on technology. We will pursue an extensive program of research into many aspects of this field, using a variety of analytical and numerical methods, in many of which we are among the world leaders. The project will add significantly to understanding of the physics of quantum phase transitions, spin-liquids, novel superconductors, and other related phenomena, and of the properties of quantum lattice models.Read moreRead less
Interlayer magnetoresistance of strongly correlated electron materials. The continued rapid expansion of information and entertainment technology requires new materials and devices for information storage. State of the art computer and iPod memories utilise advanced materials composed of layers of atoms, recognised by the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physics. These materials have metallic properties quite unlike those of simple metals such as copper and brass. This research will lead to a greater underst ....Interlayer magnetoresistance of strongly correlated electron materials. The continued rapid expansion of information and entertainment technology requires new materials and devices for information storage. State of the art computer and iPod memories utilise advanced materials composed of layers of atoms, recognised by the 2007 Nobel Prize in Physics. These materials have metallic properties quite unlike those of simple metals such as copper and brass. This research will lead to a greater understanding of and ability to design the next generation of materials. Australia's capacity for research and development in this scientifically challenging and technologically important field will be enhanced by this project. Read moreRead less