Roger Kirby
Professor Emeritus
Research Interests
My recent research has been directed towards the understanding of magnetism in nanoscale and nanostructured materials, including thin films, multilayer films, and laterally patterned films. My group has fabricated one- and two-dimensional arrays of laterally structured magnetic systems by direct interference laser annealing, which is a very versatile method of varying materials properties without modifying surface topography. This technique can be used to form nanoscale arrays of dots and/or antidots in thin magnetic films. This has led to the observation of a magnetic anisotropy lattice, in which magnetic dots of in-plane magnetic anisotropy are formed in a background of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. My group has developed several optical systems for studying magneto-optical properties of thin film and bulk samples over a wide range of wavelengths and temperatures. Most recently, my group has developed a "pump-probe" magneto-optical system based on a femtosecond laser, which permits the observation of magnetization precession and damping in thin films in a variety of experimental configurations. This system can provide a detailed understanding of magnetic coupling between nanoelements in thin films, multilayers and laterally structured materials.
My current research group includes graduate students Steven Michalski and Zhen Li and undergraduate student Robert Mumgaard.
Recent Students, Postdocs, and Visitors
| Bob Buckley | Undergraduate research developing a fast pulse magnetic field switch for pump-probe measurements of magnetization precession. Bob is currently a physics graduate student at the University of California-Santa Barbara. |
| Nikolay Polushkin | Visiting Professor from Russian Academy of Sciences at Nishniy Navgorad, now returned to his home institution. |
| Aliekber Aktag | Ph.D. thesis entitled Direct laser interference patterning of magnetic thin films. Currently, Assistant Professor at Abant Izzet Baysal Universitesi, Turkey |
| Kurt W. Wierman | Ph.D. thesis entitled Magnetic and Magneto-Optical Studies on manganese-based compounds. Kurt is currently employed at Seagate Corporation in Pittsburgh, PA |
Some Recent Publications
1. Steven A. Michalski, Jian Zhou, Ralph Skomski, and Roger D. Kirby, Coupled precession modes in indirect exchange-coupled [Pt/Co]-Co thin films, J. Applied Physics 101, 09D115-1 to 09D115-3 (2007).
2. Nikolay I. Polushkin, Steven A. Michalski, Lanping Yue, and Roger D. Kirby, Evidence of long-wavelength collective excitations in magnetic superlattices, Phys. Rev. Letters 97, 256401 (2006).
3. Aliekber Aktag, S. Michalski, L. Yue, R. D. Kirby, and Sy-Hwang Liou, Formation of an anisotropy lattice in Co/Pt multilayers by direct laser interference patterning, J. Appl. Phys. 99, 093901-1 to 093901-9 (2006).
4. R. Skomski, J. Zhou, R. D. Kirby, and D. J. Sellmyer, Micromagnetic energy barriers, J. Appl. Phys. 99, 08B906-1 to 08B906-3 (2006).
5. R. Skomski, J. Zhou, R. D. Kirby, and D. J. Sellmyer, Magnetic aging, Proceedings of the Materials Research Society, Symposium 887, pp. 133-138, Eds. M Chipara, O. Puglisi, R. Skomski, F. Jones, B. Hsiao (2006).
6. R. Skomski, J. Zhou, R. D. Kirby, and D. J. Sellmyer, Fast and slow magnetization processes in magnetic recording media, Proceedings of the Materials Research Society, Symposium 887, pp. 139-144, Eds. M Chipara, O. Puglisi, R. Skomski, F. Jones, B. Hsiao (2006).
7. L. Y. Chen, S. Y. Wang, and R. D. Kirby, Magneto-optical properties of nanostructured media (Review Chapter), in book Advanced Magnetic Materials, Kluwer Academic/Plenum and Tsinghua University Press, 2006 (Y. Liu, D. Shindo, D. J. Sellmyer, Eds.)