Thomas McKenzie
MIT Department: Physics
Faculty Mentor: Prof. Riccardo Comin
Research Supervisor: Sahaj Patel, Qian Song
Undergraduate Institution: Miami University, Oxford
Website:
Biography
Thomas McKenzie is a rising junior at Miami University studying physics with a minor in math. He is passionate about furthering our understanding of the natural world to improve the lives of others. Under Dr. Mahmud Khan, he has explored the use of additive manufacturing techniques to develop materials for environmentally friendly refrigeration and power transmission. At MIT, he is researching altermagnetism under Professor Comin in theDepartment of Physics for novel energy-efficient electronics. In the future, he plans to continue studying superconductivity, condensed matter systems, and plasma physics to advance nuclear fusion and other cutting-edge renewable energy sources. After his bachelor’s degree, he hopes to pursue a PhD and a career in academia working with sustainable energy sources. He is also a member of the Society of Physics students and Miami University’s Honor Student AdvisoryBoard. Outside of academics, Thomas enjoys watching Formula 1 and playing the trumpet.
Abstract
Raman Characterization of MnTe and MnTe2
Thomas McKenzie1, Sahaj Patel2, and Riccardo Comin2
1Department of Physics, Miami University
2Department of Physics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Altermagnets, a new class of magnetic material, have promise for advancing energy-efficient computing technology amidst high power demands caused by AI. They allow for the generation of spin polarized current without any stray fields to influence nearby bits like those produced by ferromagnets. NiAs-type MnTe is one of the most studied from this new class of materials. Understanding the structure and symmetries of MnTe is crucial in developing our understanding of altermagnetism and the creation of energy-efficient spintronic technology. Raman spectroscopy is a powerful tool for probing these symmetries. While past studies have presented and analyzed Raman spectra, we aim to conclusively determine the highly debated origin of the 175 cm-1 peak. We have performed Raman analysis with polarization dependence on both MnTe and MnTe2. Our samples are grown via chemical vapor deposition and analyzed using energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy to confirm their chemical composition and stoichiometry. After a thorough comparison of the spectra, we conclude that the E2g phonon that has been associated with MnTe is the result of MnTe2 impurity. Further, we provide a symmetry analysis of the peaks found in the MnTe Raman spectrum.