N.S.I.E.: Naturally Stimulating Instinctive Exploration

<p>My research begins with an investigation into existing public space to reveal its appropriation and determinants to determine if the site is successful or not. These findings will inform the design research through introducing small interventions which create new site qualities. This research aims to find what influences use and appropriation within public space. Observations of the determinants and qualities of different sites, will lead to the identification of key aspects, the discoverings will be analysed to determine what makes a public space successful or unsuccessful. The objective is to use these discoveries to introduce a change in the design process through developing ideas that amplify the surrounding existing environment/ structures. I aim to use designed and non-designed elements that reconfigure the way users manipulate space. I was offered an opportunity to work with a kindergarten (Awatea Kindergarten) as a case study to test my findings. Findings from the design research highlight how the introduction of new elements into a space, can reconfigure the existing area and amplify those existing natural elements into the design.</p>

N.S.I.E.: Naturally Stimulating Instinctive Exploration

<p>My research begins with an investigation into existing public space to reveal its appropriation and determinants to determine if the site is successful or not. These findings will inform the design research through introducing small interventions which create new site qualities. This research aims to find what influences use and appropriation within public space. Observations of the determinants and qualities of different sites, will lead to the identification of key aspects, the discoverings will be analysed to determine what makes a public space successful or unsuccessful. The objective is to use these discoveries to introduce a change in the design process through developing ideas that amplify the surrounding existing environment/ structures. I aim to use designed and non-designed elements that reconfigure the way users manipulate space. I was offered an opportunity to work with a kindergarten (Awatea Kindergarten) as a case study to test my findings. Findings from the design research highlight how the introduction of new elements into a space, can reconfigure the existing area and amplify those existing natural elements into the design.</p>

Real-space observations of 60-nm skyrmion dynamics in an insulating magnet under low heat flow

Thermal-current induced electron and spin dynamics in solids –dubbed “caloritronics”– have generated widespread interest in both fundamental physics and spintronics applications. Here, we examine the dynamics of nanometric topological spin textures, skyrmions driven by a temperature gradient ∇T or heat flow, that are evaluated through in-situ real-space observations in an insulating helimagnet Cu2OSeO3. We observe increases of the skyrmion velocity and the Hall angle with increasing ∇T above a critical value of ~ 13 mK/mm, which is two orders of magnitude lower than the ∇T required to drive ferromagnetic domain walls. A comparable magnitude of ∇T is also observed to move the domain walls between a skyrmion domain and the non-topological conical-spin domain from cold to hot regions. Our results demonstrate the efficient manipulation of skyrmions by temperature gradients, a promising step towards energy-efficient “green” spintronics.

Real-space observations of 60-nm skyrmion dynamics in an insulating magnet under low heat flow

Thermal-current induced electron and spin dynamics in solids –dubbed “caloritronics” – have generated widespread interest in both fundamental physics and spintronics applications. Here, we examine the dynamics of nanometric topological spin textures, skyrmions, driven by a temperature gradient or heat flow. The heat-flow-drive skyrmion dynamics are evaluated through in-situ real-space observations in an insulating helimagnet Cu2OSeO3. We observe increases of the skyrmion velocity and the Hall angle with increasing T above a critical value of ~ 13 mK/mm, which is two orders of magnitude lower than the T required to drive ferromagnetic domain walls, in agreement with theoretical predictions. A comparable magnitude of T is also observed to move the domain walls between a skyrmion domain and the non-topological conical-spin domain from cold to hot regions. Our results demonstrate the efficient manipulation of skyrmions by temperature gradients, a promising step towards energy-efficient “green” spintronics.