Synthesis and Analysis of Thin Film Systems

The objective of the Lab is synthesis and analysis of  thin-film heterostructures of "antagonistic" materials, such as ferromagnetic and superconductor metals, metals and insulators, semiconductors and superconductors, etc.

Because of quantum-mechanical interaction between the ultra-thin layers, such artificial materials have unusual properties not found in nature. We  investigate these metamaterials with the aim of prototyping new functionality and device physics.

The basis of the laboratory – the newest ultra-high vacuum experimental setup, combining molecular beam and magnetron sputtering deposition methods for the synthesis and a chamber for in situ analysis of layers of nanometer-range thickness.

Experiments since commissioning of the ultra-high vacuum setup are as follows:

•  calibration samples for magnetooptics and Mössbauer measurements;
•  a series of alloy samples of palladium-iron, palladium-nickel as materials for spintronic applications;
•  a series of ultrathin layered samples of palladium-iron for spintronic applications;
•  a series of ultrathin (10 nm) films of refractory metals (W, Mo, Nb, Ta, Ti) for plasmon applications;
•  a series of ultrathin (10 nm) refractory metal nitride films (W, Mo, Ta, Ti) for plasmon applications;
•  a series of superconductor-ferromagnet samples for the inverse proximity effect studies;

Totally, more than 50 samples synthesized in other laboratories have been investigated by using the methods of the analytic chamber: palladium-iron alloy film composition, samples of barium titanate, strontium titanate, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, implanted by the iron group ions, samples of a topological insulator Bi2Se3, NbSe2, zirconium samples irradiated by hydrogen isotopes, and others.

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