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.