Tsoi Research Group
Our Research Projects
Our research is focused on the field of “Spintronics”.
This is a new technological discipline which refers to studying the role played
by an electron spin in solid state physics and aims at developing a
revolutionary new class of electronic devices based on the spin degree of
freedom of the electron in addition to, or in place of, the charge.
The building blocks of spintronics are phenomena in
which the magnetic state of a system influences its transport properties and
transport currents alter magnetic configurations. An example of the latter is
the so-called spin transfer (or spin torque) phenomenon which refers to a novel
method to manipulate spins using an electrical current. This method, based on
quantum mechanical exchange interaction, offers unprecedented spatial and
temporal control of spin distributions and attracts a great deal of attention
because it combines interesting fundamental science with the promise of
applications in a broad range of technologies.
Our research agenda is focused on experimental
investigations of various spintronic phenomena (e.g. spin-transfer torque) in
magnetic nanostructures. A wide range of diverse physics is covered in these
investigations. The main focus of our work is on the following themes:
Spintronics with Antiferromagnets
A good deal of the above projects involve an
experimental tool known as point contact, which is the smallest probe of
spin-transfer interactions today. Here
you will find other applications of point contacts:
Other Point-Contact Applications
Supported in part by NSF grant DMR-06-45377