Description:

Spin current: the torque wrench of spintronics

Abstract: Spintronic devices use the spin of the electron as well as its charge. The current in these devices is spin polarized, due to the inclusion of ferromagnetic materials, so that their conductance depends on the state of the ferromagnet. This dependence allows these devices to serve as sensitive magnetic field detectors or as memory elements, in which information is stored in the magnetic state. However, not only does the polarized current depend on the magnetic configuration, but the spin current can manipulate the magnetic state. This recent development has led to rapid progress in novel memory devices. In this talk, I mention existing and proposed spintronic devices and describe the variety of ways in which the spin current can manipulate the magnetization. I focus on bilayers of ferromagnetic thin films on top of non-magnetic films with strong spin orbit coupling. Recent measurements on these systems have shown dramatic effects, but the interpretation of the experiments is still controversial, making it a fast moving exciting field.

Bio: Mark Stiles received his undergraduate degree in Physics from Yale University, and Ph.D. in Physics from Cornell University. Following postdoctoral research at AT&T Bell Laboratories, he joined the research staff at NIST where he is now a NIST Fellow in the Center for Nanoscale Science and Technology. He is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the Johns Hopkins University. Mark's research at NIST has focused on the development of theoretical methods for predicting the properties of magnetic nanostructures. He is a Fellow of the American Physical Society and has served the American Physical Society in various capacities.