Originally from a small farming community in Kentucky, Dr. Micky Holcomb has recently moved to WVU from the University of California, Berkeley. At Berkeley, she investigated a certain class of materials called multiferroics that show promising device applications, particularly for future computers. In these materials, one can change magnetic fields with electric fields or vice versa. Current computers use magnetic domains for the 0’s and 1’s for information storage and communication. These domains are changed by magnetic fields. The issue is that the large magnetic fields that are required to change these progressively smaller and smaller bits require a lot of power, are slow, and are hard to localize. If one can use electric fields instead, we do not have all of these problems and could therefore possibly make smaller, faster, more energy efficient devices.
Micky Holcomb will expand upon this research by studying complex oxides surfaces and interfaces. In addition, Micky is looking forward to developing mentoring connections between faculty and students at many levels. By grouping students of many ages, younger students can learn from slightly advanced peers and older students can develop mentoring skills. Mentoring has proven to improve interest and skills in scientific areas for both the mentor and the mentored.
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