Investigation of spin manipulation in phase-engineered monolayer Janus TMDCs for low power device operation in extreme environments

The electron's spin degree of freedom opens pathways to spin electronic (spintronics) devices which require less energy, resulting in high-speed operation in information communication applications. While a notable aspect for terrestrial functions is the enhancement in communication speeds, the real advantage of spintronics comes from its performance in space environments saturated with radiation. Compared to conventional electronics, which focus on measuring and controlling electron charge quantities, alternative devices designed to measure and manipulate electron spin polarization have demonstrated more robust performance in high radiation environments. The proposed project will develop a scalable approach for Janus TMDC 2DLM synthesis for spintronic architectures through ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), high quality material growth. In optimizing a growth process, the effects of structural phase on radiation hardness and spin manipulation will be investigated. The proposed project will generate new understandings into how fundamental process parameters can facilitate the development of phase-engineered 2DLM systems, which exhibit unique spin manipulation and radiation tolerance behaviors. This area remains relatively unexplored due to the complex nature of the proposed studies. The developed process for phase-engineering films within the proposed project plan will introduce 2DLM manufacturing techniques with new ȧngström-precision. In addition, this proposed process will advance the field of spintronics for practical application on future long-term, deep space exploration missions. Furthermore, material characterizations will provide new knowledge on behaviors of phase-tuned films in regards to spin manipulation and radiation hardness.

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