Invited Paper MI+EN+BI-TuA3
Multiscale Modeling for Spintronics

Tuesday, October 30, 2012, 2:40 pm, Room 006

The next generation of spintronic devices relies strongly on the development of new materials with high spin polarization, optimized intrinsic damping and tunable magnetic anisotropy. Therefore technological progress in this area depends heavily on the successful search for new materials as well as on a deeper understanding of the fundamental mechanisms of the spin polarization, the damping and the magnetic anisotropy. My talk will focus on different aspects of materials with high spin polarization, low intrinsic relaxation rate and perpendicular anisotropy. Our results are based on first principles calculations in combination with a non-orthogonal tight-binding model to predict those material properties for complex materials which can be used for example in new spin based memory devices or logic devices. Future progress in spintronics not only requires a better understanding of the underlying physical principles but also hinges strongly on the development of theoretical models capable of describing the expected performance of realistic device structures. As an example I will discuss the challenges in the Spin Transfer Torque Random Access Memory. This memory is dense, fast and nonvolatile and has the capability of a universal memory possibly even replacing today’s Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM).