Abstract: After briefly summarizing the research topics in metal-based spintronics, I report our most recent work on ferromagnetic insulators as an active spin information carrier. A central physics in spintronics is the propagation of the spin current or spin angular momentum current that are normally carried by conduction electrons. Magnons, which are collective quasi-particles in ferromagnets, also possess angular momentum. We show how the electron spin currents of metals and the magnon current in ferromagnetic insulators can be mutually converted at interfaces. Among other thing, we predict a trilayer consisting of normal metal/ferromagnetic insulator/normal metal can generate an electric drag effect: a current in one normal layer induces an electric field in the other layer even these layers are separated by a thick insulator layer.
170th:Spintronics extends to magnetic insulators
Date:
From:10:00am, July 19, 2012
Title:Spintronics extends to magnetic insulators
Speaker: Prof. Shufeng Zhang (University of Arizona, USA)
Time:10:00am, July 19, 2012
Venue:Salon Room, Institute of Semiconductors, CAS