亚洲AV

Ghimire awarded NSF CAREER Award for quantum science research on synthesis and study of magnetic topological materials

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Nirmal Jeevi Ghimire awarded NSF Career Award for quantum science research on synthesis and study of magnetic topological materials
Nirmal Jeevi Ghimire awarded NSF Career Award for quantum science research on synthesis and study of magnetic topological materials. Photo by Evan Cantwell/Creative Services

亚洲AV鈥檚聽聽has been awarded a National Science Foundation CAREER Award for his research into the design of materials for magnetic and electronic topological properties that can pave the way to thinner, faster and more energy-efficient devices.听

Ghimire,聽an assistant professor in the聽聽within Mason鈥檚聽,聽will receive a total of more $560,000 in grant money from the NSF for his work聽in聽synthesizing聽and studying聽topological聽materials where聽an聽underlying聽crystal聽structure聽of the material allows the interplay between the material鈥檚 magnetism and electronic structure to influence one or the other,聽thus allowing聽emergence of聽novel properties,聽such as quantum anomalous Hall effect, which聽can play聽a聽crucial role in聽designing聽the building block of聽future technologies聽such as quantum computing.听

Ghimire likened this next potential technological step from the current Silicon Age to the leap from the Stone Age to the Bronze and then Iron Ages.听

鈥淭he Stone Age didn鈥檛 end because聽of lack of stones鈥攊t ended because people found better materials聽when they found bronze聽and then iron,鈥澛爃e said, recounting the famous quote.听鈥淲e need new materials to go past the silicon-based technology聽that has hit a limit in terms of making thinner, faster and more energy-efficient devices.鈥澛

By designing and changing the crystal structure of the material, Ghimire seeks to change the magnetism and influence the electronic topological properties.听聽

鈥淭his research examines this issue of the fundamental science, how can we influence the electronic properties by changing the magnetic properties or vice versa and find a system that can potentially be used in these future spintronic devices,鈥 Ghimire explained.听

Most modern-day computers and microelectronics make use of the semiconductor silicon, which exploits the electron鈥檚 charge to store, transmit, and process information. Although silicon has been instrumental in technological advancements over the聽past聽several decades, use of the electron鈥檚 intrinsic spin, in addition to its charge, holds promise for thinner, faster and more energy-efficient devices.听Discovering material that better serves as a platform聽for the process has long been the challenge.听

Using crystal materials he and his team will grow in a lab, Ghimire hope to then change the structure of that material, altering its magnetism and its influence on electronic topological properties.听

Their work could lead to critical advances that could shape future technology聽and quantum information science聽and pave the way for quantum computing.听

Among the goals of the聽project, which聽is expected to begin in August,聽is to聽bring materials synthesis and characterization to students and the broader community in the聽metropolitan Washington, D.C.,聽area through聽the聽recruitment of both undergraduate and graduate students from underrepresented groups, curriculum development in quantum materials,聽and workshop organization on materials synthesis and characterization for undergraduate and graduate students.听

The novel materials synthesized in聽his聽lab聽will聽not only聽be聽important to聽Ghimire鈥檚聽research activities, but聽crucial for聽the Physics and Astronomy Department鈥檚 condensed matter program as a whole and聽the聽university鈥檚 vision in the聽development of research activities in quantum materials, said聽department chair聽. Materials synthesis is one program that can quickly develop collaborations and enhance both theoretical and other experimental research efforts.听

Ghimire and his team will collaborate聽with scientists聽both within and outside of Mason.听

鈥淪tudents and postdocs trained during this work will get the direct benefit,聽and Mason will have impact,聽in preparing聽the聽next generation in the synthesis of quantum materials,鈥 So said. 鈥淪haring of the materials synthesized will help grow Mason鈥檚 collaboration to national and international institutions and research centers. This is particularly important for a young institution like ours.鈥澛

The project also聽seeks聽to engage high school students鈥攚ho聽may聽not see science career paths represented in their communities鈥攊n research through existing K-12 programs as Mason鈥檚聽听补苍诲听.听

鈥淲e want to do good聽fundamental聽science,聽and it feels really good聽to be recognized for this important work,鈥澛燝himire聽said.