CM Group: Functional magnetic oxides for nanomedicine and spin caloritronics

Professor Hari Srikanth, University of South Florida.

Magnetic nanoparticles are promising for nanomedicine applications such as contrast enhancement in MRI and magnetic hyperthermia treatment of cancer. There is a need to improve the specific absorption rate (SAR) and heating efficiency of nanoparticles for hyperthermia and our recent work has focused on the role of surface and interfacial anisotropy with a goal to enhance SAR. We present strategies that go beyond simple spherical structures such as core-shell, exchange-coupled nanoparticles, nanowire, nanotube geometries that can be exploited to increase saturation magnetization, effective anisotropy and heating efficiency in magnetic hyperthermia treatment of cancer cells. In another project we are exploring the generation of pure spin currents in magnetic oxides and their coupling with heat through spin Seebeck effect (SSE) experiments. Our experiments have revealed important correlations between effective magnetic anisotropy on the longitudinal SSE in YIG/Pt structures. There is a critical need to improve the spin mixing conductance across interfaces in SSE structures and devices and we demonstrate this is feasible through organic semiconductor buffer layers having large spin relaxation length. Overall I will present the importance of surface and interface anisotropy in magnetic materials that can be tuned for obtaining functional responses for a variety of applications. Work supported by US Department of Energy, Army Research Office and Marie Curie Fellowship

For more information

 Visit the Condensed Matter Physics Group or contact Dr Satoshi Sasaki