Description:

Title: Spin orbit coupling and magnetism in low dimensions for room temperature applications

Speaker: Dr. Christos Panagopoulos, Nanyang Technical University

Abstract: Recent developments in thin film growth techniques and in ab initio calculation capabilities have enabled the synthesis of atomically flat surfaces and heterostructures and the prediction of their electronic properties. A common thread across several such thin film materials and heterostructures – heavy metal compounds and multilayers – is that the spin orbit coupling strength at surfaces and interfaces is comparable to the other relevant energy scales, and thus plays a pivotal role. Novel spin-based phenomena emerge often robust to disorder and thermal fluctuations, with much promise for room temperature applications. Notable progress has been made on spin-polarized states at Rashba interfaces, topological insulator surfaces and atomically thin materials. This includes their utility towards generation and conversion of spin currents, the developments on interfacial non-collinear spin textures in magnetic films, and techniques to generate, stabilize and manipulate them in devices. Using magnetic nanoscale topological spin structures as a paradigm, I will demonstrate that the states induced by spin orbit coupling and inversion symmetry breaking open a broad perspective with significant impact in the practical technology of spin and charge topology of the future.

Host: Bill Halperin

Physics, Astronomy, Condensed Matter