Superconducting spintronics: a path to energy efficient computing

Guest Speaker： Prof. Jason Robinson，University of Cambridge，UK

Inviter: Prof. Qing Dai 

Date&Time: Thursday, 17.Oct., 10:30-11:30 

Venue: Yiucheng Lecture Hall (500), Xu Zuyao Building

 Biography:

Professor Robinson is a Professor of Materials Physics, University of Cambridge,Joint Head of the Department of Materials Science & Metallurgy, University of Cambridge，and a research fellow at St. John's College, Cambridge.He has worked extensively in the areas of superconductivity, superconducting spintronics, spintronics, magnetism, quantum materials, and nanoelectronics. Particular research topics include the superconductor proximity effect, unconventional superconductivity, quantum and topological transport.

Professor Robinson’s research is concerned with investigating novel electronic states, which emerge at the interface between materials with radically different properties such as magnetism and superconductivity. This research involves precision growth of thin film multilayers, the fabrication of nanoscale heterostructure devices, and a wide spectrum of characterization techniques, including, for example, scanning tunneling microscopy and muon spectroscopy.And his experimental research focuses on the development of multifunctional materials and devices, approaching key problems in the fields of spintronics, superconductivity, and quantum technologies. He has made major contributions to these fields, including the discovery of triplet Cooper pairs in hybrid superconductor/magnetic devices and helping to pioneer the field.

Abstract:

Logic processing based on the spin of an electron (spintronics) can be faster than the conventional charge-based equivalent in semiconductor transistor technologies. However, generating and propagating spin currents is not low power because large charge currents are required at device inputs. Conventional superconductors cannot offer a solution since the pairs of electrons which carry charge have antiparallel spins and so supercurrents carry charge but not spin; at the interface between a superconductor and an inhomogeneous ferromagnet, we recently discovered a way to generate electron pairs with parallel rather than antiparellel spins (“triplet Cooper pairs”). Since triplet supercurrents carry spin in addition to charge and so could potentially be used in spintronics to create highly energy efficient logic. The aim of this research is to understand the fundamental properties of this new superconducting state and to explore the possibility of superconducting spintronic logic.