BEGIN:VCALENDAR
VERSION:2.0
PRODID:-//Talks.cam//talks.cam.ac.uk//
X-WR-CALNAME:Talks.cam
BEGIN:VEVENT
SUMMARY:Superconducting Spintronics: a tantalizing possibility for dissipa
 tion-free logic - Dr Jason Robinson\, Materials Science &amp\; Metallurgy\
 , Cambridge
DTSTART:20130206T110000Z
DTEND:20130206T120000Z
UID:TALK43412@talks.cam.ac.uk
CONTACT:Leona Hope-Coles
DESCRIPTION:The promise of spin-electronics (spintronics) is that logic pr
 ocessing based on the spin of an electron can be faster and lower power th
 an the conventional charge-based equivalent in semiconductor transistor te
 chnologies. However\, generating and propagating the necessary spin curren
 ts is not low power because large charge currents which dissipate heat are
  required at device inputs\, limiting circuit efficiency. IBM have investe
 d considerably in finding ways to minimise input currents and\, in their m
 ost promising scheme so far\, they have shown that superconductors may hel
 p overcome the propagation issue. However\, the real breakthrough would be
  the creation of spin-polarised supercurrents in which there is no dissipa
 tion\, just as there is no such dissipation for charge current flow within
  a superconductor. At first sight this appears unlikely because the pairs 
 of electrons (“Cooper pairs”) which carry charge have opposite spins i
 n practically all known superconductors\, meaning a supercurrent cannot ca
 rry a net spin component. In spite of this\, in 2001 a theory was publishe
 d that predicted that at a carefully engineered superconductor / ferromagn
 et interface it would in fact be possible to create a source of spin-polar
 ised supercurrents. In 2010 I discovered a way to generate such dissipatio
 n-free spin-currents (1) and now my group is investigating the fundamental
  properties of this new superconducting state (2-5) and the potential to a
 pply it in practical devices. In this talk I will provide an overview of m
 y work on spin-polarised superconductivity and explain how I am developing
  my group and diversifying my research.
LOCATION:Small Lecture Theatre\, Cavendish Laboratory\, Department of Phys
 ics
END:VEVENT
END:VCALENDAR