Current limiters are used to protect grids and loads from electrical current surge. In this project, a magnetoresistive current limiter is developed to protect in a passive, safe and cheaper way the grids and loads from a current surge. Such current limiters comprise of magnetoresistive (MR) elements made of high mobility materials and a magnetic field generator. Finite-element method (FEM) software is used to design and optimize the current limiter elements. Then, the MR elements are fabricated in a clean room environment. Finally, the MR elements and the magnetic field generator are assembled into a current limiter device.

The goal of this thesis is to study MR elements for current limitation. It will include modeling work with FEM software as well as electrical and magnetic characterization of the systems. From current limiter requirements derived from industrial and academic partners scenarios, the student should adapt existing FEM models and/or create new ones to understand how to tune devices for required applications. Then, once fabricated, the MR elements should be included in appropriate PCB to electrically and magnetically characterize them. If needed, it might be asked to develop measurements setups including equipment control and data analysis with Python.

Your future tasks include:

• Studying magnetoresistive (MR) elements made of high mobility materials such as indium antimonide.
• Studying the current limiting effect on such devices by analyzing measurement data and try to optimize the MR elements by Comsol (or other finite element method software) simulations.
• Analyzing data from your measurements, ideally with Python.
• You might adapt our measurement setup to conduct the requested measurements. 
• You might design PCBs and connect samples to them.
• You will participate in meetings with other project partners across Europe, while participating in an EU-funded project.