The semiconductor industry heavily relies on materials whose extraction, production, and purification processes are currently unsustainable. Simultaneously, the escalating demand for data storage and transfer between electronic devices necessitates denser and faster technology. In this context, nanoscale magnetism presents unique opportunities to revolutionize existing electronics.
By harnessing the electron’s spin and orbital properties, we can manipulate the magnetization of the system and enhance the magnetization switching efficiency. GREEN-MEM aims to boost the magnetization switching processes by leveraging materials with minimal environmental impact, and abundant on Earth, engineered in suitable multilayer configurations.
We will focus on light transition metals exhibiting diverse structural properties and distinct surface and interface characteristics. By carefully designing the multilayer structures, we will exploit novel physical phenomena occurring at interfaces such as spin and orbital Hall effects, electron affinity between different materials and crystal and shape anisotropies.