Current Research

   Professor Liou’s research interests include:

· Magnetic interactions in patterned nanostructures
· Quantum conductance and magnetoresistance in nanocontacts
· Magnetic Force Microscopy - magnetic domain images and advanced MFM tips for improving magnetic images and local probes.
· Microcantilever torgue magnetometer- magnetic characterization of nanometer-size magnetic films.
· Nanofabrications- Cantilevers for single-electron spin microscope, magnetic devices.

The research program has been funded by the National Science Foundation, Army Research Office, DARPA, ONR, W. M. Keck Foundation, and the Nebraska Research Initiative.

Recent Patent and Award

Bernard Doudin, Cheol-Soo Yang, Andrei Sokolov, Sy-Hwang Liou, Lu Yuan, “Application of High Spin Polarization Materials in Two Terminal Non-Volatile Bistable Memory Devices”, Patent # 6657888, 12/2/2003.

S. H. Liou, 2002 Excellent Presentation Award in the Magnetic Society of Japan, 26th annual conference of MSJ.

Recent Key Publications

L. Gao, L. Yue, T. Yokota, R. Skomski, S. H. Liou, H. Takahoshi, H. Saito, and S. Ishio, “Focused Ion Beam Milled CoPt Magnetic Force Microscopy Tips for High Resolution Domain Images”, IEEE Trans. on Magnetics 40, 2194 (2004).

L. Gao, D. Q. Feng, L. Yuan, T. Yokota, R. Sabirianov, and S. H. Liou, “A Study of Magnetic Interactions of Ni₈₀Fe₂₀ Arrays using ultra-sensitive Microcantilever Torque Magnetometry”, J. Appl. Phys. 95, 7010 (2004).

L. Yuan, Y. Ovchenkov, A. Sokolov, C. –S. Yang, B. Doudin and S. H. Liou; “Magnetotransport Properties of CrO₂ Films down to Single Grain Sizes” J. Appl. Phys. 93, 6850 (2003).

M. L. Yan, X. Z. Li, L. Gao, S. H. Liou, D. J. Sellmyer, R. J. M. van de Veerdonk and K. W. Wiermam; “Fabrication of Nonepitaxially-Grown, Double-Layered FePt:C/FeCoNi Thin Films for Perpendicular Recording”, Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, 3332 (2003).

Ruihua Cheng, A. N. Caruso, L. Yuan, S. H. Liou, and P. A. Dowben, “Magnetic Coupling in Co/Cr₂O₃/CrO₂“Trilayer” Films”, Appl. Phys. Lett. 82, 1443 (2003).

Recent Graduates and Current Affiliations

· S. S. Malhotra, Ph.D., 1996, now with Komag Corporation, Thesis: “Nanostructured Magnetic Thin Films”
· Hanqing Li, PhD.,1998, now with MIT, Thesis: “Multilayer Josephson Devices using High Temperature Superconducting Bicrystal Junctions”