2018 UCB-HBCU Program Participants and Projects
Undergraduate Researcher: Claudia Robinson
Major: Computer Engineering
Home Institution: Jackson State University
Research Project: Understanding Ultrafast Switching with All-Optical Switching (AOS) & Anomalous Hall Effect (AHE)
UCB Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jeff Bokor
Mentor: Amal El-Ghazaly
Abstract: Recently GdCo has been found as a new material in
which ultrafast magnetization switching could be observed. To demonstrate this switching capability, we electrically contact and measure single nanodots down to 50nm, determining their magnetization state before and after laser excitation. In this approach, we apply a current to an Anomalous Hall Effect (AHE) crossbar and simultaneously excite the GdCo nanomagnetic dot in the center of the crossbar with a laser pulse. By observing a switch in the AHE voltage across the magnetic dot as the dot is hit with the laser, we therefore demonstrate the ability to electrically detect all-optical switching of a single nanomagnetic dot’s magnetization.
Project Poster: Link
Undergraduate Researcher: Travis Butler
Major: Computer Engineering
Home Institution: Jackson State University
Research Project: Transmission Line Optimization
UCB Faculty Advisor: Dr. Jeff Bokor
Mentor: Amal El-Gazaly
Abstract: GdFeCo has been shown to switch its magnetization direction at extremely fast rates with just optical excitation, and more recently with electrical excitation. This project optimizes transmission lines that may be able to show ultrafast electrical switching of a single nanodot down to the size of 50nm. To do this, an Auston switch is fabricated into a transmission line on an LT-GaAs substrate. A laser pulse is shined onto the switch to generate an ultrafast photocurrent pulse, which propagates down the transmission line. The pulse was measured at different points along the line and found to have a FWHM of 54.7ps before the taper, 54ps after the taper, and 51.6ps at the end of the transmission line. Although the pulse widths are wide, the nanoscale tapered region was found to not affect the pulse shape and therefore can be used to effectively drive electrical pulses to nanoscale dots in the future.
Project Poster: Link
Undergraduate Researcher: Kelsey Horace-Herron
Major: Computer Engineering
Home Institution: Jackson State University
Research Project: Characterization of Back-end-of-line Nanoelectromechanical Reconfigurable Interconnects
UCB Faculty Advisor: Dr. Tsu-Jae King Liu
Mentor: Urmita Sikder
Abstract: Multiple metallic layers in the back-end-of-line (BEOL) process are used to implement nano-electro-mechanical (NEM) reconfigurable interconnects to increase the energy efficiency for reconfiguring the functions of a CMOS circuit. The optimized etch recipe for releasing the reconfigurable interconnects is determined by characterizing the interconnect performance using electrical tests and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).
Project Poster: Link