Benjamin Brown receives the Forrest Award from the Physics Department

Congratulations to Benjamin, one of two graduate students honored this year with the Forrest Award for his exceptional work in experimental condensed matter physics!

Benjamin is a remarkable researcher and a valued member of our research group. Since joining, he has shown unwavering dedication and enthusiasm for the field, particularly in the study of magnetic materials and devices. His commitment and passion have been evident in every project he’s taken on, and his research achievements continue to reflect a high level of excellence.

Well done, Benjamin, on this well-deserved recognition!

Hoang Minh Cao receives Physics Department’s Award of Excellence for Graduate Teaching Assistant

Congratulations to Minh for being awarded the Physics Department’s Award of Excellence as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. This award recognizes Minh’s outstanding dedication and impactful contributions as a TA. Throughout the year, he has gone above and beyond in preparing for his TA responsibilities, and consistently ensuring the students received clear, thoughtful, and effective support.

Minh’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. As one of four graduate TAs honored with this award this year, Minh’s commitment and excellence truly stand out. Well done, Minh! This recognition is richly deserved!

Congratulations to Tanner, Rui, Liam and Haoyu!

We are proud to congratulate Tanner, Rui, Liam and Haoyu on the successful completion of their Master’s degrees at this year’s commencement!

Liam and Haoyu will be continuing their academic journey with us as PhD students. Their contributions to the group have already been impactful, and we are excited to see how their research evolves in the coming years.

Tanner and Rui’s research achievements have prepared them well for the exciting paths ahead. We thank them for their dedication and wish them continued success in their future endeavors.

Well done, all of you – we are cheering you on!

Xiao Group attends the Northeast Quantum Forum 2024

Members of the Xiao Group, including Vineetha, Benjamin, Minh, Liam and Haoyu, recently attended the Northeast Quantum Forum 2024, held from October 9-11, 2024 in Durham, New Hampshire. The group showcased their research during the poster session, contributing to the dynamic discussion and advancements in the field of quantum science at the Forum.

About the Northeast Quantum Forum (NEQT) 2024: The NEQT aims to create a collaborative platform for experts and students in quantum science and materials, fostering idea exchange, advancements, and partnerships across the Northeast and beyond. The inaugural event, held October 9-11, 2024, at the University of New Hampshire, focuses on quantum magnets and magnetotransport, with attendees also enjoying New England’s peak autumn scenery. To learn more about the NEQT 2024, please visit here.

Vineetha Bheemarasetty awarded the Jun Qi and Christine Geng Graduate Fellowship by the Physics Department

Vineetha-Jun Qi Fellowship

Congratulations to Vineetha Bheemarasetty, the 2024 Recipient of the Jun Qi ’03 Ph.D. and Christine Geng Graduate Fellowship in Condensed Matter Experimental Physics!

This fellowship, first awarded in 2021, continues to provide vital support to graduate student research in one of the most exciting areas of physics. The financial support from Jun Qi and Christine Geng has been invaluable and timely in advancing our students’ research in condensed matter physics. We are deeply grateful for their generosity and commitment to fostering scientific discovery.

Congratulations again to Vineetha on this well-deserved recognition!

Zaslavsky, Xiao awarded $3.4M in Army Research funds for cryogenic magnetic camera

Brown University Professor of Engineering and Physics Alex Zaslavsky and Physics Professor Gang Xiao, together with Distinguished Senior Engineer Bill Patterson and colleagues at Tufts and CoolCAD Electronics, have been awarded funds from the Army Research Office toward the development of a novel cryogenic camera, an indispensable asset for characterizing superconducting films and circuits.

The grant titled, “Cryogenic magnetic camera that captures real-time trapped flux vortex dynamics in superconducting electronics,” is worth more than $3.4 million over four years.

Scaling up superconducting electronics circuitry to very-large-scale integration (VLSI) levels has historically been constrained by trapped flux vortices in superconducting layers as they are cooled through the critical temperature in a weak residual magnetic field. These trapped vortices impact the circuit margins and, in the worst case, completely disrupt functionality. Existing mitigation schemes are only partially successful and are based on intuition, rather than quantitative understanding.

The group proposes to leverage current magnetic field-sensing work with a redesign of the magnetic camera, optimized for measuring flux vortex dynamics. The final goal is a cryogenic magnetic camera prototype optimized for real-time nondestructive magnetic flux motion imaging in superconducting circuits.

Source: Brown University School of Engineering

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Hoang Minh Cao receives physics department’s Master’s Research Excellence Award

Hoang Minh Cao, a master student researcher from our research group, has been recognized with the Master’s Research Excellence Award by the Physics Department.

Since joining our group in the spring semester of 2023, Minh has made significant contributions to our lab. His research in condensed matter physics, particularly in spintronic materials and devices, has been nothing short of remarkable. His innovative approach extends from material synthesis to exploring their technological applications. Minh has also excelled academically. Minh has been accepted into our PhD program, where he will undoubtedly continue to contribute significantly to our ongoing research initiatives.

Congratulations to Minh on this significant achievement!

Congratulations to Benjamin, Minh and Vincent for receiving their Master’s degrees

Congratulations to Benjamin, Minh and Vincent for receiving their Master’s degrees at this year’s commencement!

Benjamin and Minh will continue their PhD studies within our group. Benjamin and Minh have already made significant research advancements. Their dedication and hard work have been exemplary, and we look forward to their continued contributions to our research.

Vincent has been accepted to UC Riverside’s physics PhD program. He will begin his new academic journey there starting this fall. His achievements in our group have set a strong foundation for his future success.

We extend our heartfelt congratulations to Benjamin, Minh and Vincent. Their hard work, dedication and accomplishments are a testament to their exceptional capabilities and promise for the future.

Liam Mitchell receives physics department’s Award of Excellence as a Graduate Teaching Assistant

Congratulations to Liam Mitchell for being awarded the Physics Department’s Award of Excellence as a Graduate Teaching Assistant. This recognition highlights his exceptional dedication and contributions as a Teaching Assistant.

Liam’s commitment to his role as a TA is truly commendable. He consistently demonstrated thorough preparation for his workshop sessions and office hours, ensuring that he was always ready to assist students effectively. The feedback from students has been overwhelmingly positive, reflecting Liam’s impact on their learning journey. His ability to clarify complex concepts and provide support has been greatly appreciated.

Liam is one of the two graduate TAs who received this award this year, underscoring his outstanding performance and dedication. Congratulations, Liam, on this well-deserved honor!

New discovery in magnetic materials: a step forward in miniaturizing magnetic devices

In a recent study, Professor Gang Xiao and his collaborators have explored the potential of emergent magneto-inductance (EML) in the context of miniaturizing magnetic devices without compromising their performance. By focusing on thin films of Permalloy deposited on polycarbonate substrates, they have identified a stepwise magnetic field-induced EML effect that shows promise for practical applications.

Their observations at room temperature reveal a notable inductance variation in these materials, exceeding 1 microhenry (µH). Interestingly, the inductance exhibits a reversal near zero magnetic field, a finding that could have intriguing applications in the design of magnetic devices.

The study investigates how the EML effect varies with changes in frequency, magnetic field steps, and the width of the film. These variations align with theoretical predictions based on the spin motive force, suggesting that the transient motion of domain walls may play a key role in this phenomenon.

This work represents a step toward enhancing the flexibility and efficiency of magnetic devices, opening up a venue into the future possibilities that lie at the intersection of fundamental physics and technological innovation.

Unlocking the secrets of skyrmion noise for future technologies

Recently, the Xiao Group has made a pivotal breakthrough in understanding the electronic noise of a single skyrmion, a microscopic swirling magnetic texture with potential for next-generation computing technologies. The study, published in Physical Review B, delves into how skyrmions interact with materials disorder and external perturbations, revealing distinct noise signatures across different pinning regimes. This insight is crucial for developing low-noise, reliable skyrmion-based devices, marking a significant step towards harnessing skyrmions for advanced applications in data storage, logic circuits, and beyond.