Manipulating thermal transport using the spin moment

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Gerhard Jakob
• Subject Area: Experimental Condensed Matter Physics
• Term: from 2011 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 198551693

We want to show how the electron spin can be used to modify the heat conductivity in spin caloritronic devices and materials. In the field of spintronics most materials are used as thin film systems or as complex heterostructures. While the electrical transport is well investigated in such systems, the corresponding transport of energy in form of heat is scarcely considered up to now. Though it will be essential for a number of topics in the priority programme as thermal spin transfer switching or projects related to the spin Seebeck effect. This lack of knowledge stems mainly from the difficulties in measuring the heat conductivity in a thin film geometry perpendicular to the layers. Using a 3w method one can get access to this physical property. We want to use our recently set up measurement system, in order to measure and manipulate the heat conductivity of thin film systems prepared in other projects within the priority programme and on model systems prepared within this project. A second part of the project will be dedicated to the Spin Seebeck effect. Using the same materials we will investigate this recently discovered effect, where the spin is manipulated by the heat current.

• DFG Programme: Priority Programmes
• Subproject of: SPP 1538: Spin Caloric Transport (SpinCaT)