MSI PI Jian-Ping Wang (professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering) and colleagues have discovered that the element ruthenium (Ru) has magnetic properties at room temperature. Ru is only the fourth element to have this property; the others are iron, cobalt, and nickel. The form of Ru that shows magnetism is a very thin film. The study was published recently in the journal Nature Communications, and can be read on the journal website: P Quarterman, C Sun, J Garcia-Barriocanal, Mahendra DC, Y Lv, S Manipatruni, DE Nikonov, IA Young, PM Voyles, J-P Wang. 2018. Demonstration of Ru as the 4th Ferromagnetic Element at Room Temperature. Nature Communications 9: 2058.
This research may have applications for new electronic devices. An article about the paper appears on the University's News pages: Scientists Discover New Magnetic Element.
Professor Wang uses MSI for computer calculations to support investigations into the electronic structure and magnetic properties of Fe16N2. His work in spintronics was recently featured in the U of M Foundation’s Legacy magazine: A New Spin on Parkinson’s Disease.