Overview
Research in our group is in condensed-matter theory and statistical physics with a focus on materials for spintronic applications, as, e.g. data processing, sensor systems, energy conversion, and biomedical therapies. A key aspect in spintronics is the transport and control of angular momentum, where intriguing phenomena are often caused by spin-orbit interaction, a relativistic effect that couples the electron’s spin to its orbital motion and plays a central role in quantum materials. Its manifestations include phenomena like Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, a chiral spin-spin interaction that fosters topological spin textures. Understanding the flow of angular momentum is also vital for the progress of ultrafast spin dynamics. Recent work on ultrafast demagnetization in ferromagnets has demonstrated that angular momentum can be transferred from the spin system to the lattice on femtosecond time scales. These findings add another piece to the mysteries of spintronics, namely, the understanding of the microscopic mechanisms that transfer angular momentum between the spin system and the lattice.