Through the nanoscale looking glass:  FLEET researchers determine boson peak frequency in ultra-thin alumina

There’s more to glass than meets the eye. Glasses, which are disordered materials with no long-range chemical order, have some mysterious properties that have remained enigmatic for several decades. Amongst these are the anomalous vibrational states that contribute to the heat capacity at low temperature. Early researchers established that these states obey Bose-Einstein statistics, and the name stuck, so today …

Spin-gapless semiconductors review: more candidates for next-generation low energy and high efficient spintronics

Spin-gapless semiconductors (SGSs) are a new class of zero-gap materials, with fully spin polarized electrons and holes. SGSs bridge the zero-gap materials and half-metals Material’s fascinating spin and charge states hold great potential for future spintronic technology. A University of Wollongong team has published an extensive review of spin-gapless semiconductors (SGSs) . Spin gapless semiconductors (SGSs) are a new class …

What comes after CMOS? An expert discussion

A panel of experts featuring Dr Paolo Gargini (formerly Intel, head of several international semiconductor roadmaps), Prof Michelle Simmons (UNSW, Director. ARC Centre for Quantum Computation and Communication Technology) and Prof Michael Fuhrer (Monash Uni., Director of ARC Centre of Excellence in Future Low Energy Electronics Technologies.) and a guided discussion about the future of electronics beyond CMOS and the role semiconductors and other materials …

Interfaces the key in atomically-thin, ‘high temperature’ superconductors

An international FLEET collaboration publishing a review of atomically-thin ‘high temperature’ superconductors finds that each has a common driving mechanism: interfaces. The team, including researchers from the University of Wollongong, Monash University and Tsinghua University (Beijing), found that interfaces between materials were the key to superconductivity in all systems examined. The enhancement of superconductivity at interfaces (interface superconductivity enhancement effect) …

Kirrily Rule live-streamed neutron-scattering talk to the AIP

FLEET Partner Investigator Kirrily Rule (ANSTO) introduced an audience of over 100 to the use of neutron scattering in material analysis last week, in a live-streamed seminar co-hosted with the Australian Institute of Physics. Neutron scattering is a powerful tool for investigating the structure and dynamics of condensed matter systems. In particular the magnetic spin of the neutron can interact …

MacDiarmid visit

Simon Granville, a Principal Investigator of the MacDiarmid Institute, visited FLEET collaborators at RMIT (Lan Wang and Torben Daeneke), Monash (Michael Fuhrer, Mark Edmonds, Julie Karel), UNSW (Jan Seidel’s group) and the University of Wollongong (Xiaolin Wang and David Cortie) in February to plan upcoming exchanges as part of several FLEET-MacDiarmid research collaborations funded in the 1st round of reciprocal …

Voltage induced ‘Super-fluid like’ penetration effects in Liquid metals at room temperature

Superfluids were first discovered as a special quantum state of liquid helium, later dubbed as “Superfluid helium” once chilled past -269 degree celsius, starts to manifest properties that do not occur in other fluids. Penetration through a solid with nano-pores is one of the three fascinating macroscopic phenomena that are well known in superfluids such as liquid helium. It is …

Mind the gap: FLEET team from Wollongong and Monash reveal a wide-band gap topological insulator

Since their discovery in 2006, topological insulators have been widely discussed as a promising avenue for energy efficient electronics. Their unique high mobility edge states have a form of “quantum armour” that protects them from electron-scattering events that would otherwise produce waste heat. Unfortunately, practical applications of topological insulators have been severely limited by the small electronic bandgaps in most …

New Chairs announced

Welcoming new FLEET committee Chairs: Jeff Davis (Swinburne University of Technology) Equity and Diversity Committee Meera Parish (Monash Science) Outreach Jared Cole (RMIT University) Education and Training Torben Daeneke (RMIT) Industry relations David Cortie (University of Wollongong) Communications Thanks in particular to AIs Torben Daeneke and David Cortie for taking on these extra responsibilities. And huge thanks to the outgoing …

Experimental observation of a new class of materials: excitonic insulators

First observation of excitonic insulator New exotic state was first predicted in 1960s A University of Wollongong / Monash University collaboration has found evidence of a new phase of matter predicted in the 1960s: the excitonic insulator. The unique signatures of an excitonic insulating phase were observed in antimony Sb(110) nanoflakes. The findings provide a novel strategy to search for …

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Kirrily Rule Partner Investigator

Welcome to Kirrily Rule (ANSTO), who joins FLEET as a new Partner Investigator. Dr Kirrily Rule is an internationally-recognised leader in understanding low-dimensional and ‘frustrated’ magnetic materials. At ANSTO, she is one of three instrument scientists responsible for ANSTO’s triple-axis spectrometer TAIPAN , which provides highly detailed information of collective motions of atoms in solids, including phase transitions. Within FLEET, …

Tuning the topological insulator Sb2Te3: just add iron

Iron-doping of the topological insulator Sb2Te3 results in useful electronic and magnetic properties, quantified in a recent FLEET study at the University of Wollongong. The researchers studied the magneto-transport properties of an iron-doped topological insulator (Fe–Sb2Te3). After the material is doped via the addition of iron, its electronic structure changes significantly: multiple response frequencies emerge, in contrast to the single …

Welcome new FLEET crew members

We have recently welcomed a number of new Centre members, including: New PhD students (in most cases, having decided to continue with us after their FLEET Honours projects): Bernard Field with Agustin Schiffrin (Monash) Oliver Stockdale with Matt Davis (UQ) Yik-Kheng Lee with Jared Cole (RMIT) Zeb Krix with Oleg Sushkov (UNSW) Mitchell Conway with Jeff Davis (Swinburne) Lina Sang with Xiaolin Wang (UOW) New …

FLEET collaboration reviews ferromagnetism in 2D materials

* Two-dimensional magnetism reviewed in new, collaborative review A collaborative FLEET study has reviewed recent progress in 2D ferromagnetism, and predict new, possible 2D ferromagnetic materials. The study also introduces possible applications of atomically-thin ferromagnets in novel dissipationless electronics, spintronics, and other conventional magnetic technologies. The scientists propose a new method of observing 2D ferromagnetism that could reveal new materials. …

Engaging with policymakers in 2018

Education Minister Simon Birmingham and ARC CEO Sue Thomas visited FLEET labs in may this year at the University of Wollongong’s (UOW’s) Innovation Campus. UOW node leader Prof Xiaolin Wang, Centre Deputy Director Prof Alex Hamilton (UNSW) and UOW researchers gave the Minister a quick introduction to ICT energy-use issues, topological insulators and atomically-thin materials, including a tour of labs …

Why 2D? Measuring thickness-dependent electronic properties

Why 2D? What is it about two-dimensional materials that makes them so interesting for FLEET? FLEET UNSW/Wollongong collaboration finds transition point from 3D to 2D properties Constraining the movement of charge carriers (electrons or holes) to two dimensions unlocks unusual quantum properties, resulting in useful electronic properties. Although we refer to the layers within such materials as ‘2D’, they are …

Science fiction becomes science fact as researchers create liquid metal heartbeat

Discovery has potential applications in artificial muscles, soft robotics and microfluidic circuitry In a breakthrough discovery, University of Wollongong (UOW) researchers have created a “heartbeat” effect in liquid metal, causing the metal to pulse rhythmically in a manner similar to a beating heart. Their findings are published in the 11 July issue of Physical Review Letters, the world’s premier journal …

Launch of FLEET Centre of Excellence to tackle hidden energy costs of computing

Official launch: Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Future Low-Energy Electronics Technologies 12 June 2018, 11 AM New Horizons Building, Monash University, Clayton We have an insatiable appetite for computing. But our ongoing need for computation is burning more than 5 percent of global electricity. And that figure is expected to double each decade. A new Australian Research Council …

Explainer: why use 2D atomically-thin materials

Why does FLEET use atomically-thin, 2D materials? FLEET uses materials that are just one layer of atoms in thickness, referred to as being ‘atomically thin.’ Such materials are also known as ‘two dimensional’ (2D), as opposed to three dimensional. Quantum effects become much more significant when the freedom of charge carriers is restricted to only two dimensions (relative to their …

FLEET researchers get a $4.6m boost in ARC funding round

This month’s ARC funding round saw FLEET research and researchers across five universities awarded additional funding. Across eight separate grants, almost $4.6m new research funding went to projects and facilities led by or involving FLEET researchers or directly contributing to FLEET’s search to develop ultra-low energy electronics and boost related areas of research. Two projects in particular will be key …

Research in Topological Materials

FLEET researchers undertake various research projects in the area of Topological Materials. If you have a project that would fit this theme, find information about a potential supervisor here: PROF. MICHAEL FUHRER Experiments on electronic devices made from novel two-dimensional materials such as graphene, layered transition metal dichalcogenides, topological insulators. Scanning tunnelling microscopy. Surface science A/PROF. NIKHIL MEDHEKAR Computational mechanics …

Dirac Semimetals – University of Wollongong, ANSTO

View the full poster here. University of Wollongong, ANSTO Prof. Xiaolin Wang, Prof. Frank Klose, Dr. Zhi Li, Dr. David Cortie

Materials one atom thick & nanotransistors: FLEET features in nano edition

FLEET features in this month’s annual ‘nano’ edition of the Australian Manufacturing Tech magazine. The article looks at growth of atomically thin and other novel materials and nanofabrication, with a particular focus on partnerships. Atomically thin material projects presented include semiconductor fabrication at RMIT University (Lan Wang) and the University of Wollongong (Xiaoliang Wang) and molecular beam epitaxy (Mark Edmonds …

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Spin gapless semiconductors: promising materials for novel spintronics and dissipationless current flow

A University of Wollongong study has tightened the search for materials that would allow for ultra-fast, ultra-low energy ‘spintronic‘ electronics with no wasted dissipation of energy from electrical conduction. Spintronics is an emerging field of electronic study in which the ‘spin’ of electrons (their intrinsic angular momentum) is used in addition to their charge. Conventional electronics and information technology are …

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Room-temperature ferromagnetic semiconductor strong foundation for spintronics

A barrier to practical spintronic devices has been lowered as room-temperature ferromagnetic semiconductors created in an international collaboration involving FLEET’s Xiaolin Wang. While semiconductor spintronics promise lower switching energy and faster speed, a major limitation on its development as a viable technology is the lack of room temperature ferromagnetic semiconductor materials. A collaborative study between researchers from two Chinese universities …