Date of Award

3-2024

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D.

Organizational Unit

College of Natural Science and Mathematics, Physics and Astronomy

First Advisor

Barry L. Zink

Second Advisor

Xin Fan

Third Advisor

Mark E. Siemens

Fourth Advisor

Sandra S. Eaton

Keywords

Spin Hall magnetoresistance, Spin Seebeck effect, Spincaloritronics, Spintronics, Thermal conductivity, Thermoelectrics

Abstract

Continuing technological advancements bring forth escalating challenges in global energy consumption and subsequent power dissipation, posing significant economic and environmental concerns. In response to these difficulties, the fields of thermoelectrics, spintronics, and spincaloritronics emerge as contemporary solutions, each presenting unique advantages. Thermoelectric devices, based on the Seebeck effect, other a passive, carbon-free energy generating solution from waste heat. Although current thermoelectric technology encounters hurdles in achieving optimal efficiencies without intricate designs or complex materials engineering, recently research into low-damping metallic ferromagnetic thin films have provided a new method to enhance spin wave lifetimes, thus contributing to thermoelectric voltage improvements. As advancements in spintronics and spincaloritronics progress, alternative methods for achieving energy efficiency, leveraging the electron spin degree of freedom, have been realized. Novel thermoelectric devices, capitalizing on the spin Seebeck effect, present simpler designs compared to conventional charge-based thermoelectric counterparts. Simultaneously, spintronic devices hold promise for faster data processing while promising more energy-efficient electronics by reducing the overall power consumption. Given these advancements, our understanding of the fundamental physics at the nanoscale becomes imperative to optimize these innovations as these technologies proliferate. In the absence of standardized methods for transport measurements in these fields, the evolution of measurement technique and device physics gains paramount importance for sustained progress. This dissertation primarily employs two devices: thermal isolation platform devices employed for measuring thermal conductivity, electrical resistivity, and thermopower of thin films, and the Hall bar design for exploring spin-related phenomena such as the spin Seebeck effect and spin Hall magnetoresistance. These devices pave the way for new explorations in the realms of thermoelectrics, spintronics, and spincaloritronics.

Copyright Date

3-2024

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

All Rights Reserved
All Rights Reserved.

Publication Statement

Copyright is held by the author. User is responsible for all copyright compliance.

Rights Holder

Matthew Ryan Natale

Provenance

Received from ProQuest

File Format

application/pdf

Language

English (eng)

Extent

206 pgs

File Size

10.8 MB

Discipline

Condensed matter physics

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