Physics Colloquium, February 9, 2010
Exploiting the echoes of special relativity in condensed matter: new paradigms in spin-charge coupled physics Jairo Sinova

Texas A&M University

Understanding the origin and properties of the different phases of materials and how to control them at various length scales is at the heart of condensed matter physics. One of the grand challenges of the field is controlling spin-dependent properties at short length scales without using magnetic fields. To do so, one can resort to spin-orbit effect, which is one of the few echoes of special relativity in condensed-matter physics that couples the spin and charge of the electron. Although spin-orbit coupling is sometimes viewed as an undesirable complication for its usual detrimental effect on the spin life times, we have learned recently how to harness its power to create new paradigms of spin control in complex materials and discover new phenomena and even new unexpected phases that link seemingly unrelated fields. I will broadly describe joint theoretical and experimental efforts aimed at using spin-orbit coupling to control transport and other materials properties. I will also show in detail a new paradigm, the spin-injection Hall effect device concept, in which spin-orbit coupling plays a curious role in creating long-lived spin coherence, allowing us to control and measure the spin electronically without destroying it at relatively long length scales and high temperatures.

Dr. Sinova's Web Site

4:00 p.m., Physics Research Building (PRB), Room 1080

Reception at 3:45 p.m., Atrium, PRB