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Divisions, Departments, and Degree Programs .:

Select One Anthropology Division of Biological Sciences Chemistry Communication Studies Computer Science Economics English Environmental Studies Geography Geosciences History Liberal Studies Mathematical Sciences Military Science Modern & Classical Languages & Literatures Native American Studies Philosophy Physics and Astronomy Political Science Psychology Sociology

Additional Programs .:

Select One African American Studies Asian Studies Central and Southwest Asian Studies Program Creative Writing Program Film Studies Human and Family Development Minor Intercultural Youth and Family Development Program (M.A.) Irish Studies Program International Development Studies Latin American Studies Linguistics Non-Profit Administration Minor P.E.A.S Program Pre-Engineering Pre-Law Pre-Medical Sciences Pre-Nursing Religious Studies Wildlife Biology Program Women's and Gender Studies

Projects, Centers and Institutes.:

Select One Avian Science Center Center for Biomolecular Structure and Dynamics Center for Ethics (non strictly CAS, but closely affiliated) Center for Riverine Science Flathead Lake (Yellow Bay) Biological Station (affiliated program) Institute for Medicine and Humanities (not strictly CAS, but closely affiliated) Multicultural Learning Solutions Paleontology Center Stella Duncan Memorial Research Institute Shafizadeh Rocky Mountain Center for Wood and Carbohydrate Chemistry The Writing Center

Contact: Dean Chris Comer
LA 136, Missoula, MT 59812
Telephone: 243-2632
Fax: 406-243-4076

Office Location: CHCB 120
Office Telephone: 406-243-6641
E-mail: michael.schneider@mso.umt.edu

Field Of Study:

Condensed Matter Physics

Research Interests:

Spin dynamics in magnetic systems 

 Magnetic measurements:
Quasi Static Characterization:  Magneto-optical techniques to characterize thin films, small magnetic structures, and nano-scale magnetic structures. Typical measurements will provide information about anisotropy, and saturation magnetization as well as switching fields.

100 MHz – 40 GHz, This represents the most used high frequency range for current and near future electromagnetic devices.  Magneto-optical and inductive techniques to measure spin dynamics in thin films, small magnetic structures, and nano-scale magnetic structures.  Typical measurements will provide information about anisotropy, effective magnetization, demagnetization factors, frequency response, and Damping parameters.  In nano-structures, we can examine mode structure, and coupling between neighboring nanostructures.  We are working towards measurement of single nano-magnets in this frequency range that are as small as 40 nm diameter and 3 nm thick.

Greater than 40 GHz, all optical pump probe with 12 fs time resolution and magneto-optic detection will offer investigation into ultrafast magnetic behavior of new materials.  Because we are also able to make measurements of the same samples in other frequency ranges with complimentary techniques we can understand the results of the all optical measurements quantitatively. Typical measurements will provide information about the strength of the ultrafast magnetic interaction, as well as measurement of energy dissipation channels and excited spin lifetimes.

Materials under investigation:
Metallic ferromagnetic thin films grown via sputtering, evaporation of molecular beam epitaxi.  Examples of some of the materials include NiFe alloys, CoPd multilayers, and amourphs CoFeB thin films.

Magnetic nano-dots: magnetic disk with diameters as small as 40 nm with thicknesses ranging from 3 nm to 20 nm.  We are looking at NiFe alloys, as well as CoNi, CoPd, and CoPt multilayer structures.

Spin-torque nano-oscillators:  nano-contact and nano-pillar configurations.  We are looking at the spin torque effect in NiFe, CoFeB, and CoNi free layers.  Fixed layers are typically based on CoFe and may include synthetic antiferromagnetic pinning.

Courses:

PHYS 121

Education:

University of Wisconsin, PhD in Physics, 2003

University of Michigan, BS in Physics, 1998

Selected Publications:

J. M. Shaw, S. E. Russek, M. Donahue, T. Thomson, B. D. Terris, O. Hellwig, E. Dobitz, M. L.  Schneider.  “Reversal mechanisms in perpendicular magnetic nanostructures,” Physical Review B, 78, 024414 (2008)

W. H. Rippard, M. R. Pufall, M. L. Schneider, K. Garello, and S. E. Russek, “Spin Transfer Precessional Dynamics in Co₆₀Fe₂₀B₂₀ Based Nanocontacts,” Journal of Applied Physics, 103, 053914 (2008)

M. L. Schneider, J. M. Shaw, T. J. Silva, “Spin dynamics and damping in nanomagnets measured directly by frequency-resolved magneto-optic Kerr effect,” Journal of Applied Physics, 102, 103909 (2007)

M. L. Schneider, Th. Gerrits, A. B. Kos, T. J. Silva, “Experimental determination of the inhomogeneous contribution to linewidth in Permalloy films using a time-resolved magneto-optic Kerr effect microprobe,” Journal of Applied Physics, 102, 053910 (2007)

Th. Gerrits, P. Krivosik, M. L. Schneider, C. E. Patton, T. J. Silva, “Direct detection of nonlinear ferromagnetic resonance in thin films by the magneto-optical Kerr effect,”  Physical Review Letters, 98, 207602 (2007)

M. R. Pufall, W. H . Rippard, M. Schneider, S. E. Russek, “Current-Hysteretic Low Frequency Oscillations in Spin-Transfer Nanocontacts,” Physical Review B, 75, 140404 (2007) 

M. L. Schneider, M. R. Pufall, W. H. Rippard, S. E. Russek, J. A. Katine,  “Thermal effects on the critical current of spin torque switching in spin-valve nanopillars,”  Applied Physics Letters, 90, 092504 (2007) 

Guptasarma P, Williamsen MS, Sarma BK, Suslov A, Schneider ML, Sendelbach S, Onellion M, Taft G, “Floating zone growth and carrier relaxation dynamics in single crystals of Sr₂Ru0₄ near the clan limit,”  Journal of Physics and Chemistry of Solids, 67, 525-528 (2006) 

Th. Gerrits, M. L. Schneider, T. J. Silva, “Enhanced ferromagnetic damping in Permalloy/Cu bilayers,” Journal of Applied Physics, 99, 023901 (2006) 

Th. Gerrits, M. L. Schneider, A. B. Kos, T. J. Silva, “Large angle magnetization dynamics by time-resolved ferromagnetic resonance,” Physical Review B, 73, 094454 (2006) 

S. S. Kalarickal, Mingzhong Wu, C. E. Patton, M. L. Schneider, P. Kabos, T. J. Silva,
“Ferromagnetic resonance linewidth in metallic thin films:  Comparison of measurement methods,” Journal of Applied Physics, 99, 093909 (2006)