CEM is realizing innovative science and materials discovery by engaging researchers from diverse backgrounds and disciplines in an enabling collaborative environment. This research is integrated with programs to nurture and train future sc
ientists and technologists, to best communicate the excitement and benefits of materials science to the public. Innovation is responsible for much of America’s economic vitality; discovery of novel materials and phenomena stemming from condensed matter and materials research underlies technology that is the basis for much of that strength. CEM hosts two interdisciplinary teams that bring together the necessary expertise, approaches and tools needed to create and understand new materials and reveal new physical phenomena. CEM will also enhance existing user facilities, seed emerging research areas, collaborate internationally and work with national labs and industry.
CEM pays particular attention to including relatively untapped resources of women and underrepresented groups to ensure the strength of the scientific community at the heart of this endeavor. This enterprise integrates scientific research into programs to recruit, retain and teach diverse undergraduates, graduates, and postdocs. CEM’s focused plans will broaden the engagement of students and the public with science at all levels—from K-12 students through faculty ranks—in order to widen the STEM pathway that will welcome future scientists to this effort.
IRG-1: Creation and Control of Metal/Magnetic-Insulator Interfaces
IRG-1 is exploring a highly promising approach utilizing little-explored magnetic structures founded on insulating magnets and innovative means of controlling spins. This multidisciplinary team will establish a new regime for the creation and understanding of novel static/dynamic magnetic phases and multipronged control of the magnetic states in interface-driven metal/magnetic insulator systems. This IRG will advance the development of MI interfacial platforms, provide insights into the charge and spin dynamics down to the fs/as time scales, and achieve novel control of the magnetic states, which will be made available to the research community.
IRG-2: Topology and Fractionalization in Magnetic Materials
IRG-2 seeks to establish a new paradigm for topological phases in strongly correlated magnetic materials. Their materials synthesis and crystal growth programs will generate a new class of magnetic materials for the condensed matter community, with great potential impacts on science and our national competitiveness. Additionally, new algorithms and software developed within this proposal to search for topological magnetic materials will be internet accessible, leading to improvements in the computer-aided design of materials in physics, chemistry, and materials communities.
CEM’s aggressive Seed Funding program complements the research performed within the IRGs by providing an agile mechanism that supports the emerging developments in materials research, and identifies and nurtures future leaders. This extends the impact of the CEM beyond the membership of the IRGs. CEM is a founding member of the OSU Materials Research Seed Grant Program. This integrated program, started in 2010, jointly leverages resources of three organizations to achieve the greatest impact for seeding excellence in materials research of varying scopes.