BrainMap

Mihai Gabor

Associate Professor - UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA

Researcher | Teaching staff

Web of Science ResearcherID: 1623419/mihai-gabor/

Expertise & keywords

Spin orbit torque driven field-free artificial synapses and neurons Call name: P 4 - Proiecte de Cercetare Exploratorie, 2020
PN-III-P4-ID-PCE-2020-1853 2021 - 2023

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO)

Affiliation:

Project website: https://c4s.utcluj.ro/SPINSYNE/spinsyne.html

Abstract:

The artificial intelligence (AI) computing systems that can engage in human-like processes are at the forefront of the next technological revolution that will influence most aspects of society. Training an AI emulated on conventional von Neuman computers is an energy intensive process. Therefore, optimizing the power consumption is a prerequisite for the sustainable development of the AI industry. One method to improve the power consumption by orders of magnitude is to use dedicated hardware for neuromorphic computing, like the Spiking Neural Networks (SNNs). Artificial synapses and neurons are at the core of SNNs. Within this project we target to demonstrate viable field-free spin-orbit torque (SOT) driven domain wall (DW) synaptic devices and neurons. The envisioned synaptic device will meet the requirements of spike-timing dependent plasticity, will be energetically efficient, will have superior endurance and a reduced complexity. The SOT driven DW neuron will possess the leaky-integrate-and-fire functionality and the functional characteristics will be programmable via gate voltage. The implementation of the project relies on a wide range of techniques starting form thin films elaboration to micro-patterning of functional spin-orbitronic devices.

Advanced materials for smart energy-efficient windows Call name: P 1 - SP 1.1 - Proiecte de cercetare pentru stimularea tinerelor echipe independente
PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2016-2017 2019 - 2021

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO)

Project website: https://c4s.utcluj.ro/SMARTWIN/SMARTWIN.html

Abstract:

Electrochromic–based smart windows are able to vary their throughput of visible light and solar energy by the application of an electrical voltage and are able to provide energy efficiency and comfort in buildings. The electrochromic smart windows transparency/translucidity changes reversibly due to the reduction/oxidation of the material.

The main objective of the present project is focused elaboration and testing the multilayer electrochromic device, glass/TCE/WO3(NiO)/electrolyte/CeO2-x:M/TCE/glass for the fabrication of smart windows. Mainly, two oxide systems will be taken into account for the fabrication of the electrochromic structure: (i) the simple WO3 and NiO oxides thin films, as electrochromic component deposited by the physical methods (e.g. sputtering) and (ii) doped simple oxides, including rare earths CeO2-x:M (M=Zr4+ and/or Y3+), as counter electrodes. The solid transparent electrolyte will be chemically prepared based on lithium precursors.

High sensitivity mixed superconducting-magnetoresistive magnetic field sensors for biomedical applications Call name: P 1 - SP 1.1 - Proiecte de cercetare pentru stimularea tinerelor echipe independente
PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2016-2465 2018 - 2020

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO)

Project website: http://supermagsense.weebly.com

Abstract:

The present project is concerned with the elaboration and investigation of efficient vortex pinning mechanisms to enhance the sensitivity of mixed superconducting-magnetoresistive magnetic field sensors at high operating temperatures, i.e. 77 K. Mixed superconducting-magnetoresistive sensors are developed because of their very high magnetic field sensitivity which recommends them for biomagnetic applications, in which extremely low magnetic field sources must be measured, e.g. 1 pT (10-12 T) in the case of adult signals and 1 fT (10-15 T) for brain activity. The mixed superconducting-magnetoresistive sensor consists of a high temperature superconducting (HTS) loop with a constriction which acts as a flux to field transformer. Above the constriction, a giant magnetoresistive (GMR) sensor is placed. In order to increase the sensor sensitivity, the HTS constriction needs to carry sufficient current to produce a sizeable magnetic field for the GMR element. Critical current density enhancement in the HTS constriction may be achieved by limiting the vortex motion by the addition of artificial punning centres. The objective of the project is to produce highly effective vortex pinning centres within the HTS constriction. This goal will be reached by fabrication of defined arrays of nanostructures, both dots as well as holes, arranged in geometries that maximize their efficiency.

Spin-orbitronic devices for non-volatile magnetic memory elements Call name: P 1 - SP 1.1 - Proiecte de cercetare pentru stimularea tinerelor echipe independente
PN-III-P1-1.1-TE-2016-2131 2018 - 2020

Role in this project: Project coordinator

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO)

Project website: https://c4s.utcluj.ro/SOTMEM/sotmem.html

Abstract:

In the coming decades, the microelectronics industry will face major challenges relate to power dissipation. As the transistor size continues to shrink down, the leakage current continues to increase affecting both static and dynamic consumption. One possible solution to reduce the leakage power consumption in computing machines is to use non-volatile memory elements. This would immediately reduce the power consumption, since there is no need for uninterrupted power on the memory element and it would also allow highly energetic efficient "normally-off and instant-on" operation. Within this project we target the fabrication of magnetic tunnel junction based non-volatile memory elements whose state is controlled by spin-orbit toque effects. The envisioned device will met the requirements of non-volatility, scalability and high speed operation. The multilayer architectures will be epitaxially grown on single-crystal substrates and textured grown on thermally oxidized Si/SiO2 substrates. The textured structures are extremely important due to their compatibility with the conventional microelectronics technology. The implementation of the project relies on a wide range of experimental techniques starting form thin films elaboration to micro- and nano-patterning of functional spintronic devices.

Nano-engineered Magnetic Pinning Centers in High Temperature Superconducting Epitaxial Thin Films Call name: Projects for Young Research Teams - RUTE -2014 call
PN-II-RU-TE-2014-4-2848 2015 - 2017

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO)

Project website: http://proiect-magpin.weebly.com/

Abstract:

The main objective of the present project is to investigate the potential of magnetic pinning for the enhancement of the transport properties of high temperature superconducting (HTS) epitaxial films close to the critical temperature, where, due to the thermal activation, the condensation energy pinning is not effective. As HTS films the YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) epitaxial films will be considered due to their technological relevance in the fabrication of HTS coated conductors. Two different innovative approaches are taken into consideration in order to create nanometric magnetic pinning centers in the YBCO film: magnetic nanoparticle surface decoration using polymer based methods and YBCO/ferromagnetic core-shell nanocomposites films. It is to be noted that the proposed methods are scalable and, therefore, they could rapidly be implemented at an industrial level.

Advanced spintronic devices for communication and data storage technologies based on Heusler compounds Call name: Projects for Young Research Teams - RUTE -2014 call
PN-II-RU-TE-2014-4-1820 2015 - 2017

Role in this project: Project coordinator

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO)

Project website: http://www.c4s.utcluj.ro/SPINCOD/spincod.html

Abstract:

The purpose of the project consists in elaboration of next generation spintronic devices based on perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions with engineered magnetic and magneto-transport properties. We will integrate full-Heusler alloy materials with remarkable properties such as low Gilbert damping and high spin polarization. The multilayer architectures will be epitaxially grown on single-crystal substrates and textured grown on thermally oxidized Si/SiO2 substrates. The textured structures are extremely important due to their compatibility with the conventional microelectronics technology. Our upstream research strategy is expected to have a major impact on the development of spintronics based on half-metallic materials, allowing enhanced data storage and data processing speed, low power consumption and high level of downscaling of the device dimensions. All these aspects are fully compatible with the needs of the next generation of spin-electronic devices. The implementation of the project relies on a wide range of experimental techniques starting form thin films elaboration to micro- and nano-patterning of functional spintronic devices.

Thick YBa2Cu3O7 films with improved parameters for superconducting coatings Call name: Joint Applied Research Projects - PCCA-2011 call, Type 1
PN-II-PT-PCCA-2011-3.1-0258 2012 - 2016

Role in this project:

Coordinating institution: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE - DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA MATERIALELOR BUCURESTI RA

Project partners: INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE - DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA MATERIALELOR BUCURESTI RA (RO); UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE DEZVOLTARE PENTRU FIZICA LASERILOR, PLASMEI SI RADIATIEI - INFLPR RA (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA DIN CLUJ - NAPOCA (RO)

Project website: http://lab20.infim.ro/projects/TYBCO/index.html

Abstract:

The project is devoted to the fabrication of thick YBa2Cu3O7 (YBCO) films with improved critical current density Jc for superconducting coatings. It is well known that Jc decreases with increasing film thickness, and our aim is to introduce combined artificial pinning centres and to grow super-lattices in a few micron thick films so that Jc to remain well above 1 MA/cm2 (at 77 K and self field). The fabrication route will involve Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) and chemical deposition (CSD), and the optimal conditions will be decided after the structural characterization (XRD, SEM, TEM, AFM, STM) of nanostructured thick YBCO superconducting films, correlated with a detailed investigation of the supercurrent transport properties (resistive measurements and SQUID magnetometry). The novelty of this proposal is to use a combined vortex pinning effect resulting from the presence of columnar defects, randomly distributed nanoparticles, and the substrate decoration with metal nanodots, as well as the quasi-multilayer approaches, in order to diminish the detrimental effects of various vortex excitations. The starting materials will be mainly those for YBCO with various inclusions, and different substrates, including LZO and Gd-added CeO2-buffered textured substrates (RABiTS approach), will be probed. The proposed project is multi-disciplinary one: materials science, surface science, nanotechnology, chemistry, condensed matter physics, applied and superconductivity and magnetism. A special care will be devoted to the changes in the vortex dynamics (dissipation processes) appearing with the modification of the complex film microstructure, which necessitates a better understanding of the effects of many vortex excitations and vortex creep regimes appearing in this situation: half vortex loops, double vortex kinks, super-kinks, variable range vortex hopping, plastic and elastic vortex creep.

Mesoscopic spintronic devices with tailored magneto-transport properties Call name: Exploratory Research Projects - PCE-2012 call
PN-II-ID-PCE-2012-4-0315 2013 - 2016

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA CLUJ-NAPOCA

Project partners: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA CLUJ-NAPOCA (RO)

Affiliation: UNIVERSITATEA TEHNICA CLUJ-NAPOCA (RO)

Project website: http://www.c4s.utcluj.ro/Current%20projects%20-PNII-ID23-2012.html

Abstract:

This project addresses innovative fundamental physics of spin and charge transport in Magnetic Tunnel Junctions (MTJ) employing half-metallic ferromagnetic (FM) electrodes with low Gilbert damping and tailor their magneto-transport properties and application potential. The dependence of magnetic anisotropy on the film thickness, composition and interface symmetries will be investigated, aiming towards perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA). Specific MTJ architectures with engineered characteristics, patterned in micrometric and nanometric size pillars, will be elaborated using interface chemical tuning and inserting symmetry dependent quantum wells. They will be characterized by local near field techniques and by temperature and field-dependent tunneling spectroscopy. We focus on understanding the depolarizing mechanisms, lose and recovery of half-metallicity by symmetry filtering effects. The transport mechanisms will be analyzed from correlated static DC and dynamic (noise) transport spectroscopy in variable temperature. The spin torque related noise enhancement in low Gilbert damping FM electrodes based MTJs will be addressed. The influence of electronic structure and magnetism of interfaces on spin and charge transport, the interplay between spin-orbit coupling, PMA, and anisotropic tunneling magnetoresistive effects will be investigated. The experimental studies will be accompanied by theoretical modeling by combining ab-initio, analytical and numerical approaches.

DOPING AND SIZE EFFECTS ON THE MAGNETIC, STRUCTURAL AND MORPHOLOGICAL PROPERTIES AND SPIN DYNAMICS IN MICRO AND NANOSTRUCTURED FERROMAGNETIC OXIDES. Call name: Complex Exploratory Research Projects - PCCE-2008 call
PN-II-ID-PCCE-2008-0106 2010 - 2013

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: Universitatea Tehnica din Cluj Napoca

Project partners: Universitatea Tehnica din Cluj Napoca (RO); Institutul National de Cercetare Dezvoltare pentru Tehnologii Izotopice si Moleculare-INCDTIM-Cluj Napoca (RO); Institutul National de Cercetare Dezvoltare pentru Fizica Tehnica-INCDFT-Iasi (RO); Institutul National pentru Fizica Materialelor-INCDFM-Bucuresti (RO); INSTITUTUL NATIONAL DE CERCETARE-DEZVOLTARE PENTRU METALE NEFEROASE SI RARE (RO); Universitatea Politehnica din Bucuresti (RO)

Affiliation: Universitatea Tehnica din Cluj Napoca (RO)

Project website: http://c4s.utcluj.ro/Current%20projects%20-PNII.html

Abstract:

Diluted magnetic oxides (DMO) are expected to play an important role in interdisciplinary materials science and future electronics because charge and spin degree of freedom coexist into single material. The control of the high temperature ferromagnetism and of the spin and charge transport in DMO micro- and nanostructures represent a necessary condition for the achievement and miniaturization of spintronic devices which could operate at and above the ambient temperature. The project involves a competitive and complementary partnership between 2 Technical Universities and 4 National R&D Institutes and has the main goal to obtain top research results based on the experimental and theoretical researches which will be performed on micro- and nanostructured semiconducting ferromagnetic oxide systems synthesized by innovating methods. By means of that, it will be answered to the still controversial problems in the fundamental research referring to the effects induced by the low dimensionality, magnetic ions doping degree and by the synthesis methods on the propitious characteristics necessarily to get the high temperature ferromagnetism in II-VI oxide semiconductors.

FROM MICRO TO MACRO - CONTINUUM SCALE MODELING OF ADVANCED MATERIALS IN VIRTUAL FABRICATION Call name: Complex Exploratory Research Projects - PCCE-2008 call
PN-II-ID-PCCE-2008-0100 2010 - 2013

Role in this project: Key expert

Coordinating institution: Universitatea Tehnica din Cluj Napoca, CENTRUL DE CERCETARE IN TEHNOLOGIA DEFORMARII TABLELOR

Project partners: Universitatea Tehnica din Cluj Napoca, CENTRUL DE CERCETARE IN TEHNOLOGIA DEFORMARII TABLELOR (RO); Universitatea Tehnica din Cluj Napoca, LABORATOR DE MICROSCOPIE ELETRONICA (RO); Universitatea Tehnica din Cluj Napoca, LABORATOR DE STIINTA MATERIALELOR, FILME SUBTIRI (RO); Universitatea Tehnica din Cluj Napoca, CENTRUL DE CERCETAREIN PRELUCRAREA IMAGINILOR SI RECUNOASTEREA FORMELOR (RO); Institutul de Matematica Simion Stoilov al Academiei Romane (RO); Universitatea din Bucuresti (RO)

Affiliation: Universitatea Tehnica din Cluj Napoca, LABORATOR DE STIINTA MATERIALELOR, FILME SUBTIRI (RO)

Project website: http://www.comod.utcluj.ro

Abstract:

The purpose of the project consists in the development material models at microscopic scale and their transfer to macroscopic scale by implementation in computer programmes for the simulation of sheet metal forming processes. In order to achieve this purpose, four objectives have been defined. The first objective consists in the experimental characterization of the materials selected for testing at micro- and macro-level. By achieving this objective, a database referring to the plastic behaviour of the tested materials will be created. The second objective consists in the development of plasticity models at micro- and macro-level. By achieving this objective, the members of the consortium will have a set of realistic and robust plasticity models able to describe the anisotropic behaviour of materials. The third objective consists in the implementation of the previously developed models in computer programmes for the simulation of the sheet metal forming processes. By achieving this objective, the consortium will have a set of robust and efficient computer programmes for the numerical simulation of hydraulic bulging, deep-drawing of cylindrical parts and prediction of the forming limit curves. The last objective of the project consists in the experimental validation the simulation programmes previously elaborated. By achieving this objective, a set of simulation programmes having a high accuracy will be available for the use in industrial applications with the aim of obtaining a realistic and robust virtual prototype. The achievement of the general purpose needs the cooperation between experts from interdisciplinary domains and having a rich expertise in modelling, numerical methods, experimental procedures, with a comprehensive understanding of the phenomena that occur at micro- and macroscopic scale. With this aim in view, an interdisciplinary and complementary consortium as concerns the scientific background and the laboratory equipment has been established.

FILE DESCRIPTION	DOCUMENT
List of research grants as project coordinator or partner team leader
Significant R&D projects for enterprises, as project manager
R&D activities in enterprises
Peer-review activity for international programs/projects