SONS - Self-Assembled Nanoscale Magnetic Networks

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Stefan Blügel; Professor Dr. Klaus Kern
• Subject Area: Theoretical Condensed Matter Physics
• Term: from 2006 to 2011
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 25002211

The project aims at exploiting self-assembly processes for creating and developing bottom-up architectures of planar magnetic networks constituted by sub-nanometer size functional elements. Elemental and alloyed nanomagnets of controlled size organized into regular patterns offer new perspectives for exciting developments in the timely fields of nanoelectronics, spintronics, and quantum computation. The proposed collaborative project will develop self-assembly strategies to design nanomagnetic networks by controlling the specific properties of individual atomic-scale magnets, their mutual interactions, and coupling with the environment. The project will employ coordinated theoretical, microscopy, magnetometry, and spectroscopy methods to achieve an in-depth understanding of the synthesis, structural, electronic and magnetic properties of novel nanoscale magnetic systems. The ultimate density limit with which information can be magnetically stored will be investigated combining material science input with self-assembly methods. Finally, novel material strategies will be implemented to obtain quantum magnetic systems that interact weakly with the supporting substrate in order to take on the fabrication of nanoscale, solid-state qubit ensembles.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Austria, Italy, Spain, Switzerland
• Participating Persons: Professor Dr. Harald Brune; Dr. Carlo Carbone; Professor Dr. Pietro Gambardella; Professor Dr. Peter Varga (†)