Magnetic Micro-Origami

Microscopic origami figures can be created from thin film patterns using surface tension of liquids or residual stresses in thin films. The curvature of the structures, direction of bending, twisting, and folding of the patterns can be controlled by their shape, thickness, and elastic properties and by the strength of the residual stresses. Magnetic materials used for micro- and nano-origami structures play an essential role in many applications. Magnetic force due to applied magnetic field can be used for remote actuation of microrobots. It can also be used in targeted drug delivery to direct cages loaded with drugs or microswimmers to transport drugs to specific organs. Magnetoelastic properties of free-standing micro-origami patterns can serve for stress or magnetic field sensing. Also, the stress-induced anisotropy and magnetic shape anisotropy provide a convenient method of tuning magnetic properties by designing a shape of the micro-origami figures instead of varying the composition of the films. Micro-origami figures can also serve as building blocks for two- and three-dimensional meta-materials with unique properties such as negative index of refraction. Micro-origami techniques provide a powerful method of self-assembly of magnetic circuits and integrating them with microelectro-mechanical systems or other functional devices

Friction on the microscale

A new method is presented for measurements of friction of microsized particles on surfaces. Specifically in this work, the particles are alumina with diameters between ≈ 1 and 50 μm and the surfaces are InP, Si, and Cr. Friction is analyzed, its components are determined, and the friction coefficients are estimated from the experimental results. The technique and the specific instrument allow measurements of coefficients of friction for spherical particles with radii as small as 1 μm. For smaller sizes, the instrument needs to be modified by using a more powerful power supply, actuator with extended frequency and amplitude ranges, cooling of the actuator and the power supply, and the related mechanical modifications of the sample holder

Enhanced spin-dependent tunneling magnetoresistance in magnetite films coated by polystyrene

Hematite films were deposited by magnetron sputtering. A phase transformation from hematite to magnetite occurred when polystyrene (PS) coated hematite films were annealed above 200 °C in hydrogen flow. Giant negative magnetoresistance (MR) was observed with the best MR ratio of over 8% (at room temperature and in a field of 5.5 T) found in samples annealed at 230 °C. The temperature dependence of the resistivity is characteristic of intergranular tunneling. After the PS layer was removed and the films annealed again at 230 °C in hydrogen flow, the resistivity increased by about one order of magnitude and the MR ratio decreased to 4.3%. These data show that PS coating layer can protect magnetite films from oxidation and enhance interganular spin-dependent tunneling magnetoresistance

Friction on the microscale

A new method is presented for measurements of friction of microsized particles on surfaces. Specifically in this work, the particles are alumina with diameters between ≈ 1 and 50 μm and the surfaces are InP, Si, and Cr. Friction is analyzed, its components are determined, and the friction coefficients are estimated from the experimental results. The technique and the specific instrument allow measurements of coefficients of friction for spherical particles with radii as small as 1 μm. For smaller sizes, the instrument needs to be modified by using a more powerful power supply, actuator with extended frequency and amplitude ranges, cooling of the actuator and the power supply, and the related mechanical modifications of the sample holder

Morphology, magnetic and dynamic properties of artificial structures assembled by acoustic vibrations

Cobalt micromagnetic particles with an average size of ≈ 1.6 μm and varying total mass of the powder were assembled on patterned media with perpendicular magnetization by acoustic vibrations onto designed shapes reflecting the primary material. The replicas were studied with scanning electron microscopy, vibrating sample magnetometry, and ferromagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Their properties were significantly influenced by the shape anisotropy induced through the parent molds. A tendency in the development of the physical characteristics of the replicas was observed as their geometrical parameters changed