The interaction of magnetism and superconductivity, and the development of superconducting spintronics

Condensed Matter Seminars

Speaker: Mark Blamire, Department of Materials Science, University of Cambridge, UK
Date & Time: Thu, 2018-05-17 14:00 - 15:00
Location: AMPEL 311
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The discovery in 2010, using superconductor / ferromagnet / superconductor Josephson junctions, that it is possible to controllably create triplet Cooper pairs in which the electrons have parallel spins created the field of superconducting spin electronics (superspintronics) [1]. However, even if triplet pairing implies that supercurrents can carry spin, this is not in itself sufficient to create functioning superspintronic devices.  In parallel, a variety of other interactions between singlet superconductivity and magnetism have been actively explored. This talk will cover the key developments in superconducting spintronics that have taken place since the first demonstrations of triplet pairing, including the demonstration of spin filter Josephson junctions [2], superconducting exchange coupling [3] and superconducting spin valve memory devices [4].

[1]        J. W. A. Robinson, J. D. S. Witt, and M. G. Blamire, “Controlled Injection of Spin-Triplet Supercurrents into a Strong Ferromagnet”, Science 329, 59 (2010).

[2]        K. Senapati, M. G. Blamire, and Z. H. Barber, “Spin-filter Josephson junctions”, Nature Mater. 10, 849 (2011).

[3]        Y. Zhu, A. Pal, M. G. Blamire, and Z. H. Barber, “Superconducting Exchange Coupling between Ferromagnets”, Nature Mater. 16, 195 (2017).

[4]        Y. Gu, G. B. Halász, J. W. A. Robinson, and M. G. Blamire, “Large superconducting spin valve effect and ultra-small exchange-splitting in epitaxial rare-earth-niobium trilayers”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 115, 067201 (2015).