ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø and Utrecht University receive NWO funding for research on magnetic topology
Professor Bert Koopmans (ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø), in collaboration with Professor Rembert Duine (Utrecht University), has been awarded funding through the NWO Open Competition Domain Science – M programme (ENW M) for their joint research project Magnetic topology on demand.
The project focuses on materials with topological protection, a promising and relatively new approach for processing and storing information. Such materials are inherently robust against disturbances that normally cause energy loss in the form of heat, opening up new routes towards energy‑efficient computer technology.
Koopmans and (who is also connected to the ºÚÁϸ£ÀûÍø as a part-time professor) will develop an innovative ‘optical pen’ that makes it possible to write arbitrary, topologically protected lattices into thin magnetic films. These lattices consist of ultra‑small magnetic textures, each smaller than 100 nanometers. Within the designed structures, wave‑like magnetic motion can propagate along the edges without being slowed down, a property that could make them a new fundamental building block for future computer chips.
The funding is part of NWO’s ENW‑M programme, which supports curiosity‑driven, high‑quality research within the domain of Science.
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More about the Open Competition Domain Science-M programme:
M-grants are intended for realising non-programmed, curiosity-driven scientific research with impact. In this M-round (package 24-5), a total of 85 grant applications were evaluated, of which 48 M-1 proposals, 9 M-1-Weave proposals, 3 M-1-X proposals and 25 M-2 proposals. The NWO Science Board decided to award thirteen M-1 proposals, three M-1-Weave proposals and five M-2 proposals. More information can be found .