Spin Lab

Welcome to the Spin Lab at the University of Arizona.  Our research primarily focuses on studying spin-related phenomena in various materials at the nanoscale and in reduced dimensions. We explore novel physical properties of these systems under the influence of light, electric fields, magnetic fields, and other excitations, over time scales as brief as a picosecond and at temperatures ranging from as low as 50 mK to as high as 1500K. We design, fabricate, and test most of our samples in-house, but we also engage in collaborations with a wide range of other groups specializing in theory, computation, and experimentation.

In terms of applications, parts of our research addresse one of society's grand challenges: the ever-increasing energy consumption of digital technologies. With developments in AI, big data, and autonomous driving, the energy consumption of computing has surged significantly over the past 10-20 years. According to the most recent decadal plan by the Semiconductor Research Cooperation (SRC), if current trends continue, computing energy could intersect the total energy production of the planet by 2050. A significant amount of this energy is wasted in the standby state. Fortunately, the nonvolatility of nanomagnets offers an ideal solution to this issue, as it can eliminate off-state energy consumption entirely. Additionally, other unique features of spintronics may lead to ultrafast and ultra-high-density, as well as brain-inspired, devices for various applications. Our lab has achieved some of the highest on/off ratio and lowest switching energy in certain spintronic devices (pMTJ). If you are interested in our research, feel free to reach out to us!