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Ultrafast Phonon-Driven Switching in Multiferroic Materials

Objective

Manipulating the magnetic state of media with minimal energy and in the shortest possible time is a fundamental challenge in physics, as faster switching typically requires higher energy. The challenge is increasingly urgent, as the rapid rise of the Internet of Things and Artificial Intelligence has surged the energy demand of data centers, making them a significant source of global carbon emissions. To enable a sustainable digital future, we need computing devices that operate in less than a trillionth of a second while consuming below a femtojoule per bit.
Controlling magnetization with electric fields in multiferroic materials, at energy costs in the attojoule range, offers a promising route. However, under ultrafast operation, the energy exchange between spins, electric polarization, and phonons undergoes dramatic changes. The lack of effective control strategies leads to heat losses and limits switching efficiency.
UPSHIFT aims to establish new principles and benchmarks for ultrafast, energy-efficient switching of multiferroics. I will use intense THz electric fields (MV-GV/cm) to coherently excite lattice vibrations at selected phonon frequencies in model multiferroics (BiFeO₃ and NiI2). This approach will induce controlled, non-thermal lattice deformation, allowing for the steering of spin-phonon couplings at sub-picosecond timescales. Using a second excitation pulse, I will map the regulation of the energy flow among the spin, lattice, and electronic subsystems and quantify its impact on switching dynamics, threshold energy, and speed. Studying materials with contrasting coupling regimes and dimensionalities will uncover both universal principles and material-specific pathways for ultrafast, low-energy switching. The proposal will benefit from the unique HFML-FELIX facility and tabletop femtosecond laser sources available at Radboud University, enabling the establishment of new benchmarks for next-generation, energy-efficient devices.

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HORIZON-TMA-MSCA-PF-EF - HORIZON TMA MSCA Postdoctoral Fellowships - European Fellowships

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Call for proposal

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(opens in new window) HORIZON-MSCA-2025-PF

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Coordinator

STICHTING RADBOUD UNIVERSITEIT
Net EU contribution

Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.

€ 232 916,16
Address
HOUTLAAN 4
6525 XZ Nijmegen
Netherlands

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Region
Oost-Nederland Gelderland Arnhem/Nijmegen
Activity type
Higher or Secondary Education Establishments
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Total cost

The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.

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