Spin-dependent thermo-galvanic effects: experiment

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Sebastian Gönnenwein
• Subject Area: Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
• Term: from 2011 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 198261808

It became clear only recently that the long-known thermoelectric phenomena need to be re-considered by including the spin degree of freedom. Moreover, it has been recognized that caloric effects in spin transport modify thermal transport, magneto-resistance and possibly even magnetic states. Therefore, their investigation, understanding, and exploitation is of crucial importance, both from a fundamental point of view and given the fact that spin based devices will be used for information processing. The present proposal aims at the study of spin caloric transport phenomena in in ferromagnetic thin films as well as across interfaces in multilayer devices, which are in the heart of Priority Programme 1538. This includes the fabrication of epitaxial magnetic films and heterostructures tailored to the needs of spin caloric transport experiments, the study of the magnetization orientation-dependent Seebeck effect (magneto-Seebeck tensor), investigations of the Mott relations and of the anomalous Nernst effect, and the quantitative investigation of spin currents induced by temperature gradients. A particular long-term goal consists in the measurement of the magneto-heat conductivity tensor or the magneto-Peltier effect tensor and its relation to crystalline symmetry.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 1538: Spin Caloric Transport (SpinCaT)
• Participating Person: Professor Dr. Rudolf Gross