Magnetic and magneto-optical phenomena in inorganic/organic hybrid materials

The project aims to realize a coupling of the magnetic, magneto-optical or chiral properties of conjugated polymers, a special type of plastics, on the one hand and the magnetic or magneto-optical properties of inorganic nanoparticles on the other hand. In order to obtain an efficient coupling between both components, the conjugated polymers will be covalently linked to the nanoparticles. Next, the coupling of the above-mentioned properties in the inorganic-organic hybrid structures will be investigated. In particular, using Faraday rotation measurements, it will be tested whether the magneto-optical properties of the hybrid structure do mix. The coupling of the magnetic properties in the coated nanoparticles will be investigated by the verification of the exchange bias effect. Finally, a coupling of the chirality in chiral conjugated polymers and the magnetism of the nanoparticles will be employed in order to demonstrate the presence of magneto-chiral dichroism in these materials.