Topological spintronics with antiferromagnets has recently emerged as a powerful tool for manipulating spin waves in magnetic systems. One of the main advantages of using antiferromagnets is that it is possible to engineer new functionalities into these systems by exploiting the spin-dependent coupling between antiferromagnetic layers. This idea has been demonstrated in several studies where topological spintronics with antiferromagnets enabled the manipulation of skyrmion and domain wall motion, spin-wave propagation, and even the creation of new devices such as logic gates. With further developments in materials fabrication methods, it is anticipated that topological spintronics with antiferromagnets will be increasingly used for new types of spintronic applications in the near future.
In addition to device technology, spintronics with antiferromagnets also holds promise for providing insight into fundamental physical phenomena. For example, antiferromagnets with large spin-orbit interaction possess unique spin textures and topological configurations, which may be manipulated using electric and optical fields. Those findings have enabled the exploration of various intriguing physical phenomena such as chiral magnons, spin-Seebeck effects, anomalous Hall conductivity, and large magnetoresistance. Such studies can further our fundamental understanding of spintronics and associated technologies, aiding in further developing these technologies for practical applications.
However, research in this area is still relatively new and limited. Nonetheless, progress is already underway. In this talk, I will discuss fresh ways to address the challenges by (1) creating new synthetic templates with rich many-body behavior derived from the class of rare-earth pyrochlore iridates and spinels, (2) discovering interesting states and phenomena entwined with spin correlations and non-trivial band topology including quantum spin liquid, Weyl semimetal, and potentially gaped Dirac and surface axionic states. Specifically, I will focus on the feasibility of experimental validation of those states within the oriented thin films of synthetic materials with entangled fermions and large spin-orbit interaction.
2002- graduated with PhD in Physics from UBC, Vancouver (muon spin resonance on low dimensional TM oxides, mostly cuprates - adviser Rob Kiefl)
6 months postdoc at TRIUMF national research facilty, Vancouver (beta-NMR with polarized ions - adviser Jess Brewer)
Fall 2002-2005- postdoc at MPI Stuttgart (Keimer); led projects on physics of correlated electronic interfaces and growth and photoelectron resonant spectroscopies.
2006 - assistant professor at the Unv. Of Arkansas at Fayetteville .
2010 - associate professor and chair.
2012- full professor
2016- present Lovelace Professor of Physics at Rutgers
2007 - received the Outstanding young investigator early career award (for 5 years) from National Science Foundation
2012 - selected as Betty and Gordon Moore foundation EPIQS fellow in the program for quantum materials synthesis.
2016 - co-Director of Rutgers's center for Quantum Materials Synthesis (cQMS).
JC expertise is in the area of growth by pulsed laser deposition and advanced characterization of ultra-thin films and heterostructrures of strongly correlated compounds with focus on structures with exotic magnetism, band topology and superconductivity. In addition, Jak is an expert user of synchrotron based resonant photoelectron probes.
