33rd CEMS Colloquium
Speaker
Prof. Eiji Saitoh (WPI-AIMR, Tohoku University)
Date
17:30 - 18:30, November 25, 2015 (Wednesday)
Venue
Okochi-Hall, RIKEN
Title
Spin current generators
Abstract
I will give an introduction to the concept and various fascinating phenomena of spin-current science. Generation and utilization of spin current, a flow of spin angular momentum of electrons in condensed matter, are the key challenge of today’s nano magnetism and spintronics. The discovery of the inverse spin Hall effect has allowed researchers to detect and utilize spin current directly, and, since then, many spin-current driven effects have been discovered, including spin Seebeck effects, light-spin conversion, sound-spin conversion, and motion-spin conversion. Spin Seebeck effects refer to spin-current generation from a temperature gradient, where spin’s non reciprocity allows it to rectify thermal fluctuation into unidirectional spin current; spins, working as a natural rectifier in magnets, may thus provide a versatile mechanism of energy conversion in condensed matter. Spin micro mechanics, one of more recent topics, will also be covered.