DOE EPSCoR: Light-Matter Interactions in Artificial Spin Lattices

This DOE EPSCoR Implementation effort will enhance energy-related research capability in the EPSCoR jurisdictions of Kentucky and Delaware while building U.S. competitiveness through a national network. The effort will "jumpstart" research capability through investments in human resources (assistant professors, research scientists, post-doctoral associates, and graduate students) and technical resources (new and upgraded instrumentation). These participants will unite around the common theme of understanding of how photons, spanning microwave to X-ray energies, interact with arrays of nanoscale magnets called artificial spin lattices (ASL). ASLs are a class of meta materials which exhibit new physical and functional properties based on their structures. A key component of this theme is understanding how ASLs can underpin new, unconventional computing paradigms (e.g. reservoir and neuromorphic). Thus, the program could transform understanding of complex magnetic systems and impact energyrelated applications in computing, data storage, and materials characterization. The effort will build a network of collaborations among four institutions in the EPSCoR jurisdictions (two Rl and two baccalaureate colleges) and with unfunded partners from non-EPSCoR universities (U. of California Davis and U. of Colorado Boulder) and national laboratories (Berkeley, Argonne, Brookhaven, and Oak Ridge). The effort implements a plan for promoting inclusive and equitable research (PIER) which encompasses recruiting, training, and professional development of researchers, and particularly early-stage researchers, from diverse backgrounds. The proposed implementation program aligns with the goals of the DOE Office of Basic Energy Science (BES), and specifically the X-ray Scattering and Condensed Matter Physics programs in the Materials Science and Engineering division, while aligning closely with efforts at the DOE X-ray light sources and Nanoscale Science Research Centers.