UA Professor Awarded $500,000 for Physics Research

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Dr. Gary J. Mankey, associate professor of physics in the College of Arts and Sciences at The University of Alabama, recently was awarded $500,000 in funding from the U.S. Department of Energy for research involving neutron scattering, which will contribute to the miniaturization of electronic circuits.

The funding will be allotted over a three-year period through the DOE’s Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, and will include collaboration with Oak Ridge National Laboratory in Oak Ridge, Tenn.

Mankey’s studies under the grant will focus on improving the efficiency of triple-axis spectrometers to enable the study of magnetic films with neutron scattering. These magnetic films have applications in spin-electronic or “spintronic” devices.

Spintronic devices operate by manipulating the spin of electrons rather than their charge, as in conventional electronics. Spin is a quantum mechanical phenomenon that is the origin of magnetism in solids. Spintronic devices can be made much smaller than conventional charge-based electronics because their energy density is smaller. The research project is timely, since the development of spintronic devices was the cover story in the June 2002 issue of Scientific American.

Along with a handful of other research groups, Mankey and his team of collaborators are making contributions toward miniaturizing electronic circuits. Developments in this area will lead to smaller, faster and higher capacity computers.

A native of Williamsport, Pa., Mankey received his bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Lycoming College in Williamsport and his doctorate in physics from Penn State. He has participated in research projects at Penn State, Louisiana State University, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Stanford University, the University of California-Berkley, the University of Wisconsin, Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Max Plank Institute for Plasmaphysics in Munich, Germany.

He became an assistant professor at UA in 1996 and last year was awarded tenure with a promotion to associate professor.