Timothy Liao, UT-Austin

"Searching for rare-earth-free magnets"

Abstract: The demand for rare earth elements in high performance permanent magnets continues to rise. However, the supply of rare-earth elements depends on resources that may not be secure. My research targets the design of high performance permanant magnets without the use of rare earth element. I will discuss the creation of a database specialized on site-specific magnetic properties to advance the search process. I will explain how calculations can be carried out for magnetic moments, spin-orbit coupling energy, and magnetic exchange. These features can be employed with first-principles calculations and machine learning to aid in the discovery of new rare-earth-free magnets.