In 1990, a seminar was initiated for QMC (formerly CNAM/CSR) graduate students in order to present their research to the other students, postdocs, and faculty in the Center. In addition to fostering a rich, collaborative environment in which students learn about the breadth and scope of research being done in QMC, the idea of this series is to teach several crucial skills to our students:
1) How to present their research in a clear and time-efficient way to an audience that was not expert in their area of research;
2) How to best answer questions during their presentations;
3) How to ask good questions when in an audience (or interview), in particular about research beyond their own narrow PhD topic.
In this seminar, students submit formalized feedback to each weekly presenter, providing informative information about presentation style, research content and tips for improvement.
Best Speaker Awards
At the end of each term, a cash prize award is given for the best student and postdoc presentations based on class feedback scores. Previous winners are listed here:
2024 (fall) Jared Erb (student)
2023 (fall) Jared Erb (student), Peter Czajka (postdoc)
2022 (fall) Sungha Baek (student), Keenan Avers (postdoc)
2020 (fall) Shukai Ma
2019 (spring) Rui Zhang (student), Tarapada Sarkar (postdoc)
2018 (fall) Chris Eckberg (student), Jen-Hao Yeh (postdoc)
2015 Paul Syers, Jasper Drisko
2014 Sean Fackler, Paul Syers,
2013 Kevin Kirshenbaum, Kirsten Burson
2012 Baladitya Suri, Kristen Burson
2011 (fall) Sergii Pershoguba, Ted Thorbeck
2011 (spring) Anirban Gangopadhyay, Baladitya Suri
2010 (fall) Christian J. Long, Tomasz M. Kott
2010 (spring) Tomasz M. Kott, Kevin Kirshenbaum
2009 (fall) Arun Luykx, Jen-Hao Yeh
Title: Acoustically-driven ferromagnetic resonance in ferrimagnetic Y3Fe5O12 film with magnetic anisotropy
Abstract: Spin wave devices seek to efficiently transport spin information via propagating waves of spin excitations in a lattice. Previous researchers have utilized the magnetoelastic effect in order to launch spin waves via surface acoustic waves (SAWs), a phenomenon known as acoustically-driven ferromagnetic resonance (ADFMR). While these ADFMR studies have primarily focused on materials such as Ni, such metals have short spin coherence lengths which limit their spintronics applications. In this work, we detect spin wave launching due to ADFMR in the ferrimagnetic insulator Y3Fe5O12; (yttrium iron garnet, YIG), which has a longer coherence length. Interdigitated transducers (IDTs) were used to send and receive bursts of SAWs through Y-cut LiNbO3 piezoelectric substrates. YIG thin films patterned between these IDTs were able to partially absorb the SAWs under an applied field. This absorption demonstrates angle-dependence indicative of ADFMR and therefore spin wave launching. We also discuss the effect of in-plane magnetic anisotropy on the ADFMR signature. These findings expand the possibilities for spin wave devices to create low loss spintronics.
Advisor: Ichiro Takeuchi