High-density Data Storage Devices Research Articles

Green synthesis of NiFe2O4 nanoparticles using Hyphaene thebaica: A facile route towards magnetic and photocatalytic application

Wastewaters from textile industries contribute to significant volumes of colored and hazardous material pollution. Photocatalytic degradation offers a method to reduce organic pollutants, such as dye-containing effluents effectively. Nickel Ferrite (NiFe2O4) receives the most attention in spinel ferrites since it has diverse applications in catalysis, sensor technology, spintronics, magnetocaloric refrigeration, high-density data storage devices, etc. We performed the green synthesis of NiFe2O4 nanoparticles by fruit extract of a gingerbread tree (Hyphaene thebaica). We characterized it with Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), Transmission Electron Microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and Raman spectroscopy. The XRD indicates the inverse-spinel structure of the F3dm space group with crystallite size measured as 30 nm. SEM and TEM revealed the spheroidal structure of NiFe2O4 NPs. The green synthesized NiFe2O4 has tetrahedral and octahedral stretching vibrations of Ni–O and Fe–O, as suggested by FTIR. Doublet-like peak behavior in the Raman spectrum indicated the presence of a mixed spinel structure. We studied magnetic behavior in two different modes, and magnetization measurements showed a soft ferromagnetic behavior with a saturation magnetization of 1.527 emu g−1. For photocatalytic potential, the degradation efficiency was 97 % after 90 min at adding 1 g/L of NiFe2O4 nano-catalyst, which shows the high catalytic activity of NiFe2O4 NPs under visible light conditions.

Realization of spinful metaphotonic stokes skyrmions

Abstract Topologically protected skyrmion textures of light have garnered significant attention due to their potential applications in next-generation high-density data storage and logic devices. However, achieving compact and tunable on-chip skyrmion modes remains a formidable challenge. In this work, we present a novel approach empowered by birefringent metasurfaces to generate and manipulate spin-multiplexed photonic skyrmion textures. By encoding independent phase profiles onto orthogonal spin states, we observe the emergence of anti-skyrmions and skyrmioniums via Stokes parameter measurements, elucidating their distinct topological characteristics. This spin-multiplexed metasurface platform not only facilitates high-dimensional multiplexing but also enables the miniaturization of topological quasi-particles, offering promising prospects for applications in optical memory, information processing, and communications.

Temperature dependent structural and magnetic properties of permalloy (Ni80Fe20) nanotubes

One dimensional Permalloy (Ni80Fe20) nanotubes (NTs) were successfully fabricated using Anodic Aluminum Oxide (AAO) templates with 100 nm diameter by employing a low-cost electrodeposition route at room temperature. As prepared Ni80Fe20 NTs morphology, elemental analysis and structural details have been investigated by using field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) and X-Ray diffraction (XRD) respectively. The structure of prepared Permalloy nanostructures has face centered cubic (FCC) phase with polycrystalline in nature. The Ni80Fe20 NTs were annealed at 200 °C, 400 °C and 600 °C. The vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) measurements showed that all the samples exhibit ferromagnetic nature. Furthermore, VSM has been employed to study the saturation magnetization (MS), Squareness (SQ) and Coercivity (HC) as the function of annealing temperature. A comparative study of magnetization reversal mechanism has also been conducted. The easy axis lies in the direction perpendicular to the NTS axis due to the dominance in shape anisotropy. Annealing temperature improved the magnetic properties of Permalloy (PA) NTs. This work will provide significant applications in the field of spintronics and high-density data storage devices.

Strain-induced ferromagnetism and magneto-electric coupling in two-dimensional ferroelectric ZnIn2S4

Two-dimensional (2D) multiferroic materials are currently in high demand due to their significant potential for applications in the field of high-density data storage devices. However, due to the different requirements for generating ferroelectricity and magnetism, 2D multiferroic materials are rare. In this study, we propose that applying strain can induce magnetism in 2D ferroelectric materials with special electronic structures, thereby creating 2D multiferroics. Taking 2D ZnIn2S4 as an example, it shows robust ferroelectricity with an appropriate switching barrier (79.3 meV), and the out-of-plane ferroelectric polarization is 0.0322 C/m2. Applying biaxial tensile strain can change the energy of the flatband near the Fermi level, ultimately resulting in self-doping phenomena and leading to Stoner-type itinerant ferromagnetism. The reversal of ferroelectric polarization in ZnIn2S4 bilayer and ZnIn2S4–In2Se3 heterostructure can manipulate the magnetic moment of the system, exhibiting significant magnetoelectric coupling phenomena. Our findings provide a pathway for designing 2D ferromagnetic and multiferroic materials.

Noncytotoxic WORM Memory Using Lysozyme with Ultrahigh Stability for Transient and Sustainable Electronics Applications.

Biocompatibility and transient nature of electronic devices have been the matter of attention in recent times due to their immense potential for sustainable solutions toward hazardous e-wastes. In order to fulfill the requirement of high-density data-storage devices due to explosive growth in digital data, a resistive switching (RS)-based memory device could be the promising alternative to the present Si-based electronics. In this research work, we employed a biocompatible enzymatic protein lysozyme (Lyso) as the active layer to design a RS memory device having a device structure Au/Lyso/ITO. Interestingly the device showed transient, WORM memory behavior. It has been observed that the WORM memory performance of the device was very good with high memory window (2.78 × 102), data retention (up to 300 min), device yield (∼73.8%), read cyclability, as well as very high device stability (experimentally >700 days, extrapolated to 3000 days). Bias-induced charge trapping followed by conducting filament formation was the key behind such switching behavior. Transient behavior analysis showed that electronic as well as optical behaviors completely disappeared after 10 s dissolution of the device in luke warm water. Cytotoxicity of the as-prepared device was tested by challenging two environmentally derived bacteria, S. aureus and P. aeruginosa, and was found to have no biocidal effects. Hence, the device would cause no harm to the microbial flora when it is discarded. As a whole, this work suggests that Lyso-based WORM memory device could play a key role for the design of transient WORM memory device for sustainable electronic applications.

Structural, vibrational and magnetic properties of heat treated CuFe2O4 nanoparticles prepared by two different synthesis routes

The present study employed co-precipitation and high-energy ball milling techniques to synthesize nanoparticles of copper ferrite. Subsequently, the powders underwent air annealing at three distinct temperatures, namely 600 °C, 800 °C, and 1000 °C, for a duration of 3 h. The structural and magnetic properties of the generated compositions were assessed and examined by a range of techniques, including as X-ray diffraction (XRD), infrared (IR) spectroscopy, and vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM). Based on X-ray diffraction examinations, it has been observed that the co-precipitation process results in the production of copper ferrite nanoparticles of smaller size compared to those obtained using the milling procedure. The infrared absorption spectra demonstrated that the enhancement of the annealing temperature resulted in an augmentation of the structural integrity of milled copper ferrite. The results of magnetic investigations conducted at ambient temperature indicate that increasing the annealing temperature resulted in an enhancement of saturation magnetization. The copper ferrite material, which was synthesized using co-precipitation and subsequently subjected to annealing at a temperature of 1000 °C, had the most minimal coercivity value of 138 G and remanence value of 5.26 emu/g. In the context of high-density data storage devices, there is a strong preference for lower coercivity and remanence characteristics. It has been observed that the enhancement of structural and magnetic characteristics requires annealing at elevated temperatures.

Role of interfacial layer on exchange-coupled magnetic properties of bi-magnetic nanostructures: An experimental and theoretical approach

Bi-magnetic hetero-nanostructures exhibiting significant exchange bias effects are highly desirable for technological advancement in spin valves, memory devices, data storage, biomedicine, and hyperthermia-based cancer treatment. As the interfacial spin interaction and the resulting anisotropy play a central role in these phenomena, investigating the tailored physical properties of hetero-structures of magnetically contrasting nanoparticles in different architectures is extremely useful. In this work, we report the formation of microspheres containing nano-aggregates of ferrimagnetic Fe3O4 and antiferromagnetic NiO phases. We demonstrate that this kind of bi-magnetic hetero-structures provide a conducive atmosphere for strong interfacial coupling giving rise to an extensive exchange bias effect (∼1.6 kOe). In addition, we also observe a substantial enhancement of the coercive field, indicating the onset of an additional unidirectional anisotropy under the field-cooled condition. Our first-principle density functional theory calculations reveal the role of cation intermixing at the interface of the two phases, being the source of an additional higher magneto-crystalline anisotropy than the original phases. This cation intermixing at the interface also causes a narrowed energy band, which was demonstrated by UV–Vis spectroscopy and first principle calculations. Having these technologically essential features with a tunable band gap, the embedded hetero-nanostructures are envisioned to cater to the requirement of high-density data storage and memory devices.

Influence of synthetic temperature on structural and magnetic properties of Dy substituted Ni nanoferrite

ABSTRACT Dy substituted Ni ferrite nanoparticles with composition NiFe1.95Dy0.05O4 were synthesized by using the citric acid sol–gel auto combustion method. The samples were sintered at temperatures of 400°C, 700°C, and 900°C. The X-ray diffraction measurements clearly showed the formation of a cubic spinel structure along with a small orthoferrite phase for all the sintered samples. The crystallite size increases from 17.79 to 39.36 nm while the grain size increases from 50.70 nm to 83.05 nm. The lattice parameter and lattice volume decrease with increasing sintering temperature was observed. The Spinel ferrite structure of prepared samples has been confirmed from FTIR spectra. With increasing sintering temperature saturation magnetization increases from 25.80 emu/gm to 49.48 emu/gm while the coercivity value decreases from 207.95 Oe to 165.43 Oe. Increasing saturation magnetization and decreasing coercivity values with increasing sintering temperature make the synthesized nanoparticles suitable for high-density data storage devices.

A Highly Crystalline Single Layer 2D Polymer for Low Variability and Excellent Scalability Molecular Memristors.

Large-scale growth of highly crystalline single layer 2D polymers (SL-2DPs) and their subsequent integration into memristors is key to advancing the development of high-density data storage devices. However, leakage problems resulting from the porous structure of 2DPs continue to make such advances extremely challenging. Herein,weovercome this issue by incorporating long alkoxy chains into key molecular building blocks to obtain a highly crystalline 2DP, as visualized by scanning tunneling microscopy, and prevent metal permeation in the subsequent device fabrication process. SL-2DP memristors constructed via direct evaporation of the top electrodes exhibit low variability (σVset = 0.14) due to the single-monomer-thick feature together with the high regular structure and coordination ability which minimizes the stochastic spatial distribution of conductive filaments (CFs) in both vertical and lateral dimensions. The variability is further decreased to 0.04 by confining the formation and fracture of CFs to the interface through the utilization of bilayer junctions. Using peak force tunneling atomic force microscopy, the nanometer scalability (< 50 nm2 ) and low power consumption of these molecular memristor devices are demonstrated.

Single-Molecule Magnetism in Linear Fe(I) Complexes with Aufbau and Non-Aufbau Ground States.

With the ongoing efforts on synthesizing mononuclear single-ion magnets (SIMs) with promising applications in high-density data storage and spintronics devices, the linear or quasi-linear Fe(I) complexes emerge as the enticing candidates possessing large unquenched angular momentum. Herein, we have studied five experimentally synthesized linear Fe(I) complexes to uncover the origin of single-molecule magnetic behavior of these complexes. To begin with, we benchmarked the methodology on the experimentally and theoretically well-studied complex [Fe(C(SiMe3)3)2]-1 (1) (SiMe3 = trimethylsilyl), which is characterized with a large spin-reversal barrier of 226 cm-1. Subsequently, the spin-phonon coupling coefficients are calculated for the low-frequency vibrational modes to understand the relaxation mechanism of the complex. Furthermore, the two Fe(I) complexes, that is, [Fe(cyIDep)2]+1 (2) (cyIDep = 1,3-bis(2',6'-diethylphenyl)-4,5-(CH2)4-imidazole-2-ylidene) and [Fe(sIDep)2]+1 (3) (sIDep = 1,3-bis(2',6'-diethylphenyl)-imidazolin-2-ylidene), are studied that are experimentally reported with no SIM behavior under ac or dc magnetic fields; however, they exhibit large opposite axial zero field splitting (-62.4 and +34.0 cm-1, respectively) from ab initio calculations. We have unwrapped the origin of this contrasting observation between experiment and theory by probing their magnetic relaxation pathways and the pattern of d orbital splitting. Additionally, the two experimentally synthesized Fe(I) complexes, that is, [(η6-C6H6)FeAr*-3,5-Pr2i] (4) (Ar*-3,5-Pr2i = C6H-2,6-(C6H2-2,4,6-Pr3i)2-3,5-Pr2i) and [(CAAC)2Fe]+1 (5) (CAAC = cyclic (alkyl) (amino)carbene), are investigated for SIM behavior, since there is no report on their magnetic anisotropy. To this end, complex 4 presents itself as the possible candidate for SIM.

Multiple polarization phases and strong magnetoelectric coupling in the layered transition metal phosphorus chalcogenides TMP2X6(T=Cu,Ag;M=Cr,V;X=S,Se) by controlling the interlayer interaction and dimension

Magnetoelectric multiferroic materials are the potential candidates for the high-density nonvolatile data storage devices. However, up to now, multiferroic materials with strong magnetoelectric coupling are still rare. Here, based on the first-principles calculations and theoretical model, we predict a different class of single phase multiferroic materials, transition metal phosphorus chalcogenides $TM{\mathrm{P}}_{2}{X}_{6}(T=\mathrm{Cu},\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{Ag};\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}M=\mathrm{Cr},\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{V};\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}X=\mathrm{S},\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{Se})$ with multiple polarization phases and strong magnetoelectric coupling. The ferroelectric polarization originates from the movement of Cu/Ag atoms breaking the symmetry of spatial inversion and the magnetism arises from partially filled $d$ orbitals of the V/Cr atoms. It is predicted that the different ferroelectric phases of $TM{\mathrm{P}}_{2}{X}_{6}$ bulk have different band gaps, providing a way to control electronic and transport properties by the external electric field. Most prominently, for $\mathrm{CuV}{\mathrm{P}}_{2}{\mathrm{S}}_{6}$ bilayer and few layers, one of the ferroelectric phases has ferromagnetic ground state and the other has antiferromagnetic states, realizing the electric-field control of magnetism. We reveal that the physical mechanism of the strong magnetoelectric coupling is from the reduced dimension and symmetry by constructing a theoretical model including the crystal field splitting, electric polarization effect, and exchange interaction. This work not only predicts a different class of magnetoelectric multiferroic materials, but also proposes a strategy to design them by controlling the interlayer interaction in van der Waals layered materials.

Nanomicelles Array for Ultrahigh-Density Data Storage.

High-density data storage devices based on organic and polymer materials are currently restricted by two key issues, size limitations and uniformity of memory cells. Herein, one triblock polymer is synthesized by ring-opening metathesis polymerization, where the polymer contains an electron-donor-acceptor (A1 D) segment, an electron-acceptor (A2 ) segment, and a hydrophilic segment, that shows ternary memory behavior in a conventional sandwich-type device. The polymers that have monodisperse molecular weight dispersity self-assemble into nanomicelles with a uniform size of 80nm. Each nanomicelle is composed of an A1 DA2 -type hydrophobic core stabilized with a hydrophilic shell. Nanobowls based on conductive oxide are prepared via the template method, wherein the nanomicelles are present as independent nanoscale memory units to produce an array of micelle matrices. Investigations of the resulting nanomemory device using conductive atomic force microscopy show that the micelles exhibit a predominant semiconductor memory behavior. Compared to traditional ternary devices with a memory unit size of ≈1mm, this innovative fabrication method based on arrayed uniform nanomicelles downscales the size of storage cells to 80nm. Furthermore, the described system leads to a greatly enhanced storage density (>108 times over the same area), which opens up new paths for further development of ultrahigh-density data storage devices.

Strain induced electromagnetic coupling in tri-phase multiferroic composites 0.8[(1-x)Fe2O3–xPbZrO3]+0.2Cr2O3 for multistate devices

Multiferroic composites are highly desirable for next-generation multifunctional smart devices because of their low power consumption, fast data processing, and nonvolatile nature in memory devices. Here we synthesized a series of tri-phase composite of Fe2O3, PbZrO3, and Cr2O3 with general formula 0.8[(1-x)Fe2O3–xPbZrO3]+0.2Cr2O3 (x = 0.0, 0.33, 0.66 and 1.0) via a chemical approach. Individual oxides are synthesized by the sol-gel auto-combustion method and the solid-state route is used to mix them. Through structural analysis, the formation of tri-phase composites is confirmed by the presence of peaks belonging to each phase. The morphological study suggested that the composites have a homogeneous distribution of grain size over the surface with small voids. To investigate the ferroelectric nature of these composites the saturation polarization, remanent polarization, and coercivity are calculated from their P-E loops. Using these values, the switching charge density and recoverable energy density are evaluated which highlighted the importance of these composites for fast switching and energy storage devices. The response of variation in polarization by the magnetic field is mapped by magneto-electric coupling measurement. Our results show that these tri-phase composites with ferroelectric and magnetoelectric response are potential candidates for high-density data storage and ME multifunctional devices.

Alkaline-Earth Metal Effects on Physical Properties of Ferromagnetic AVO3 (A = Ba, Sr, Ca, and Mg): Density Functional Theory Insights.

The effects of alkaline-earth metals on electronic, optical, thermodynamic, and physical properties of ferromagnetic AVO3 (A = Ba, Sr, Ca, and Mg) have been investigated by first-principles calculations within the GGA+U formalism based on density functional theory. The optimized structural parameters are in good agreement with the available experimental results that evaluate the reliability of our calculations. The cell and mechanical stability is discussed using the formation energy and Born stability criteria, respectively. The mechanical behaviors of AVO3 are discussed on the basis of the results of elastic constants, elastic moduli, Peierls stress, and Vickers hardness. The nature of the ductile–brittle transition of AVO3 compounds was confirmed by the values of Pugh’s ratio, Poisson’s ratio, and Cauchy pressure. The electronic band structures, as well as density of states, reveal the half-metallic behavior of BaVO3 and SrVO3. However, CaVO3 and MgVO3 exhibit spin-gapless and magnetic semiconductor characteristics, respectively. The microscopic origin of the transition from the half-metallic to semiconductor nature of AVO3 is rationalized using electronic properties. The presence of covalent, ionic, and metallic bonds in AVO3 compounds is found by the analysis of bonding properties. The single-band nature of half-metallic AVO3 is seen by observing hole-like Fermi surfaces in this study. Furthermore, the various thermodynamic and optical properties are calculated and analyzed. The refractive index suggests that AVO3 could be a potential candidate for applications to high-density optical data storage devices.

Strain Tunable Electronic Band Structure and Magnetic Anisotropy of CrI3 Bilayer

Bilayer (BL) CrI3 attracts major attention among two dimensional (2D) materials due to the exhibition of unique interlayer antiferromagnetic ordering in contrast to other atomically thin films exhibiting long-range ferromagnetic ordering. It is believed that the high temperature monoclinic AB′ stacking plays the key role to induce unusual antiferromagnetic interlayer coupling in BL CrI3. The magnetic states of this system can be effectively controlled by external perturbations like magnetic field, electric field, carrier doping, strain etc. So, it is expected that strain effects can show a distinct behavior in the magnetic transition in BL CrI3. Here, we have studied the electronic and magnetic properties of BL CrI3 under in-plane biaxial and out-of-plane vertical strain from compression to stretch through density functional theory calculations. A compressive biaxial strain around −2.5 can induce a transition from AFM to FM magnetic ground state which continues upto −6 strain. Beyond this point, a second transition from FM to AFM1 state occurs. Detailed analysis of electronic structure indicates a strain induced direct to indirect band gap transition. Magnetic anisotropy energy (MAE) calculations show an out-of-plane easy axis for pristine CrI3 BL and this feature remains unchanged in the entire range of applied strain. It is also found that most of the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy contribution comes from the iodine atoms. Large MAE found in BL CrI3 may find useful applications in high density data storage devices.

Scanning Probe Lithography: State-of-the-Art and Future Perspectives.

High-throughput and high-accuracy nanofabrication methods are required for the ever-increasing demand for nanoelectronics, high-density data storage devices, nanophotonics, quantum computing, molecular circuitry, and scaffolds in bioengineering used for cell proliferation applications. The scanning probe lithography (SPL) nanofabrication technique is a critical nanofabrication method with great potential to evolve into a disruptive atomic-scale fabrication technology to meet these demands. Through this timely review, we aspire to provide an overview of the SPL fabrication mechanism and the state-the-art research in this area, and detail the applications and characteristics of this technique, including the effects of thermal aspects and chemical aspects, and the influence of electric and magnetic fields in governing the mechanics of the functionalized tip interacting with the substrate during SPL. Alongside this, the review also sheds light on comparing various fabrication capabilities, throughput, and attainable resolution. Finally, the paper alludes to the fact that a majority of the reported literature suggests that SPL has yet to achieve its full commercial potential and is currently largely a laboratory-based nanofabrication technique used for prototyping of nanostructures and nanodevices.

Perspectives on metal induced crystallization of a-Si and a-Ge thin films.

In recent times, the metal induced crystallization (MIC) process in amorphous semiconductors (a-Si and a-Ge) has been extensively investigated by many researchers due to potential applications of crystalline semiconductors in high-density data storage devices, flat panel displays, and high performance solar cells. In this context, we have presented a review on different schemes of MIC in metal/a-Si and metal/a-Ge bilayer films (with stacking change) on various substrates under different annealing conditions. The parameters, which limit crystallization of a-Si and a-Ge have been analyzed and discussed extensively keeping in mind their applications in solar cells and flat panel displays. The MIC of a-Si and a-Ge films under ion beam irradiation has also been discussed in detail. At the end, some suggestions to overcome the limitations of the MIC process in producing better crystalline semiconductors have been proposed. We believe that this review article will inspire readers to perform a thorough investigation on various aspects of MIC for further development of high efficiency solar cells and high quality flat panel displays.

Robust skyrmion mediated reversal of ferromagnetic nanodots of 20\xa0nm lateral dimension with high Ms and observable DMI

Implementation of skyrmion based energy efficient and high-density data storage devices requires aggressive scaling of skyrmion size. Ferrimagnetic materials are considered to be a suitable platform for this purpose due to their low saturation magnetization (i.e. smaller stray field). However, this method of lowering the saturation magnetization and scaling the lateral size of skyrmions is only applicable where the skyrmions have a smaller lateral dimension compared to the hosting film. Here, we show by performing rigorous micromagnetic simulation that the size of skyrmions, which have lateral dimension comparable to their hosting nanodot can be scaled by increasing saturation magnetization. Also, when the lateral dimension of nanodot is reduced and thereby the skyrmion confined in it is downscaled, there remains a challenge in forming a stable skyrmion with experimentally observed Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI) values since this interaction has to facilitate higher canting per spin to complete a 360° rotation along the diameter. In our study, we found that skyrmions can be formed in 20 nm lateral dimension nanodots with high saturation magnetization (1.30–1.70 MA/m) and DMI values (~ 3 mJ/m2) that have been reported to date. This result could stimulate experiments on implementation of highly dense skyrmion devices. Additionally, using this, we show that voltage controlled magnetic anisotropy based switching mediated by an intermediate skyrmion state can be achieved in the soft layer of a ferromagnetic p-MTJ of lateral dimensions 20 nm with sub 1 fJ/bit energy in the presence of room temperature thermal noise with reasonable DMI ~ 3 mJ/m2.

Magnetization Reversal Process and Magnetostatic Interactions in Fe56Co44/SiO2/Fe3O4 Core/Shell Ferromagnetic Nanowires with Non-Magnetic Interlayer.

Nowadays, numerous works regarding nanowires or nanotubes are being published, studying different combinations of materials or geometries with single or multiple layers. However, works, where both nanotube and nanowires are forming complex structures, are scarcer due to the underlying difficulties that their fabrication and characterization entail. Among the specific applications for these nanostructures that can be used in sensing or high-density magnetic data storage devices, there are the fields of photonics or spintronics. To achieve further improvements in these research fields, a complete understanding of the magnetic properties exhibited by these nanostructures is needed, including their magnetization reversal processes and control of the magnetic domain walls. In order to gain a deeper insight into this topic, complex systems are being fabricated by altering their dimensions or composition. In this work, a successful process flow for the additive fabrication of core/shell nanowires arrays is developed. The core/shell nanostructures fabricated here consist of a magnetic nanowire nucleus (Fe56Co44), grown by electrodeposition and coated by a non-magnetic SiO2 layer coaxially surrounded by a magnetic Fe3O4 nanotubular coating both fabricated by means of the Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD) technique. Moreover, the magnetization reversal processes of these coaxial nanostructures and the magnetostatic interactions between the two magnetic components are investigated by means of standard magnetometry and First Order Reversal Curve methodology. From this study, a two-step magnetization reversal of the core/shell bimagnetic nanostructure is inferred, which is also corroborated by the hysteresis loops of individual core/shell nanostructures measured by Kerr effect-based magnetometer.

Solution‐Processed Dual Gate Ferroelectric–Ferroelectric Organic Polymer Field‐Effect Transistor for the Multibit Nonvolatile Memory

AbstractThe stable multibit storage operation of solution‐processed organic nonvolatile memories (ONVMs) based on ferroelectric field‐effect transistors (FeFETs) for high density data storage devices are demonstrated. The proposed multibit ONVM structure consists of a p‐type polymer semiconductor sandwiched between poly(vinylidene fluoride‐trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF‐TrFE)] layers serving as ferroelectric gate insulators to form a dual gate ferroelectric–ferroelectric memory transistor (DG Fe‐FeMT). With the extra memory space created by the spatially separated ferroelectrics, a 2‐bit memory representation (“11”, “10”, “01” and “00”) with clear memory margins is achieved due to the bistability of each P(VDF‐TrFE) and the high performance of the polymer semiconductor. The distinct four‐level reading of memory output currents (IM,OUTs) results from the independent programming voltages of the dual gates. An excellent distinct six‐levelIM,OUTsare also achieved in DG Fe‐FeMT using the intermediate programming voltages. Finally, the possibility of 3−bit, or 8 memory states, are demonstrated by optimizing the bistability and intermediate polarization states of the ferroelectrics without increasing the device area horizontally. The DG Fe‐FeMT has a great potential for cost−effective flexible nonvolatile multibit data storage devices due to its solution‐process and low annealing temperatures.