Skip to ContentSkip to Navigation
About us Latest news News News articles

Magnetic order from molecular oxygen anions

04 May 2012

PhD ceremony: Mr. S. Riyadi, 11.00 uur, Academiegebouw, Broerstraat 5, Groningen

Dissertation: Magnetic order from molecular oxygen anions

Promotor(s): prof. T.T.M. Palstra, prof. R.A. de Groot

Faculty: Mathematics and Natural Sciences

The magnetic properties of alkali metal oxide compounds, which are determined by the behavior of molecular oxygen species, are investigated with a view to their potential as new spintronics materials.

Spintronics is an emerging technology in which solid-state devices use not only the charge of the electron, but also its spin and the magnetic moment associated with it. Since oxygen is a light element, alkali oxides might offer advantages over materials that are used in today’s technology.

The oxygen molecule (O2) is important for living creatures. Apart from this, oxygen is also interesting for the condensed-matter physicist because it is a magnetic molecule. Oxygen solidifies below 54.36 K (-218.79 ° C) and shows many interesting physical phenomena below this temperature. For example, it has been reported that oxygen is superconducting below 0.6 K at high pressure (100 GPa).

Different types of oxygen species, oxide (O2-), peroxide (O2 2-), and superoxide (O2 -), can be formed when molecular oxygen chemically bonds with alkali metals such as potassium (K), rubidium (Rb), and cesium (Cs). These species can give rise to a wide range of interesting physical properties.

The thesis discusses three main topics: 1) exploring the chemical synthesis and properties of new chemical phases of rubidium oxides (RbOx); 2) ferromagnetic order driven by superoxide ions in RbO1.66; 3) one-dimensional antiferromagnetic spin-chain order formed by superoxide ions in CsO2.

Last modified:13 March 2020 01.01 a.m.
View this page in: Nederlands

More news

  • 29 November 2023

    Three FSE researchers receive NWO XS grant

    Three researchers of the Faculty of Science and Engineering have been awarded an ENW-XS grant by the Dutch Research Council (Nederlandse Organisatie voor Wetenschappelijke Onderzoek, NWO): Prof. A.I. Guskov the Groningen Biomolecular Sciences and...

  • 29 November 2023

    UG professor Jayawardhana appointed scientific director DISC

    Bayu Jayawardhana has been appointed scientific director of DISC, the interuniversity research institute and graduate school that unites all university groups in the Netherlands that are active in systems and control theory and engineering. The...

  • 23 November 2023

    Two Major European grants for Groningen researchers

    Researchers Clemens Mayer and Danny Incarnato of the University of Groningen have been awarded an ERC Consolidator Grant.