Thesis (M. Phil.)--University of Hong Kong, 2006. / Title proper from title frame. Also available in printed format.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Rochester Institute of Technology, 2006. / Typescript. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--University of Texas at Austin, 2006. / Vita. Includes bibliographical references.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Ohio State University, 2007. / Full text release at OhioLINK's ETD Center delayed at author's request

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:25:33Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2013-06-28Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:07:22Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 leandro_sc_me_ilha.pdf: 1782827 bytes, checksum: 80c4f27095adfdf0cbd88b99966a75fa (MD5) / Neste trabalho investigou-se teoricamente a densidade local de estados (LDOS) sondada por uma ponta de STM de metais hospedando um átomo adsorvido e uma impureza subsuperficial. Modelamos o sistema por meio do Hamiltoniano de Anderson de duas impurezas. Utilizando-se do procedimento da equação de movimento nas funções de Green, derivamos expressões analíticas para a LDOS de dois tipos de hospedeiro: uma superfície metálica e um fio quântico. A LDOS revela oscilações de Friedel e interferência Fano como função da posição da ponta. Essas oscilações dependem fortemente da dimensão do hospedeiro. Encontramos que os números de onda de Fermi dependentes do spin dão origem a batimentos quânticos spin-polarizados na LDOS. Embora a LDOS da superfície mostre um padrão de batimentos amortecidos, ela possui um comportamento oposto no fio quântico. Devido a ausência de amortecimento, o fio opera como um filtro de spins espacialmente resolvido com elevada eficiência. / We theoretically investigate the local density of states (LDOS) probed by an STM tip of ferromagnetic metals hosting a single adatom and a subsurface impurity. We model the system via the two-impurity Anderson Hamiltonian. By using the equation of motion with the relevant Green’s functions, we derive analytical expressions for the LDOS of two host types: a surface and a quantum wire. The LDOS reveals Friedel-like oscillations and Fano interference as a function of the STM tip position. These oscillations strongly depend on the host dimension. Interestingly, we find that the spin-dependent Fermi wave numbers of the hosts give rise to spin-polarized quantum beats in the LDOS. Although the LDOS for the metallic surface shows a damped beating pattern, it exhibits the opposite behavior in the quantum wire. Due to this absence of damping, the wire operates as a spatially resolved spin filter with a high efficiency.

Orientador: Antonio Carlos Ferreira Seridonio / Banca: Devaney Ribeiro do Carmo / Banca: Guillermo Gerardo Cabrera Oyarzun / Resumo: Neste trabalho investigou-se teoricamente a densidade local de estados (LDOS) sondada por uma ponta de STM de metais hospedando um átomo adsorvido e uma impureza subsuperficial. Modelamos o sistema por meio do Hamiltoniano de Anderson de duas impurezas. Utilizando-se do procedimento da equação de movimento nas funções de Green, derivamos expressões analíticas para a LDOS de dois tipos de hospedeiro: uma superfície metálica e um fio quântico. A LDOS revela oscilações de Friedel e interferência Fano como função da posição da ponta. Essas oscilações dependem fortemente da dimensão do hospedeiro. Encontramos que os números de onda de Fermi dependentes do spin dão origem a batimentos quânticos spin-polarizados na LDOS. Embora a LDOS da superfície mostre um padrão de batimentos amortecidos, ela possui um comportamento oposto no fio quântico. Devido a ausência de amortecimento, o fio opera como um filtro de spins espacialmente resolvido com elevada eficiência. / Abstract: We theoretically investigate the local density of states (LDOS) probed by an STM tip of ferromagnetic metals hosting a single adatom and a subsurface impurity. We model the system via the two-impurity Anderson Hamiltonian. By using the equation of motion with the relevant Green's functions, we derive analytical expressions for the LDOS of two host types: a surface and a quantum wire. The LDOS reveals Friedel-like oscillations and Fano interference as a function of the STM tip position. These oscillations strongly depend on the host dimension. Interestingly, we find that the spin-dependent Fermi wave numbers of the hosts give rise to spin-polarized quantum beats in the LDOS. Although the LDOS for the metallic surface shows a damped beating pattern, it exhibits the opposite behavior in the quantum wire. Due to this absence of damping, the wire operates as a spatially resolved spin filter with a high efficiency. / Mestre

Since the discovery of giant magnetoresistance in 1980s, Spintronics became an exciting field which studies numerous phenomena including the spin transport in magnetic heterostructures, magnetization dynamics and the interplay between them. I have investigated different topics during my graduate research. In this dissertation, I summarize all my projects including spin pumping, spin convertance and spin injection into ballistic medium. First, we develop a linear response formalism for spin pumping effect. Spin pumping refers that a precessing emits a spin current into its adjacent nonmagnetic surroundings, which was originally proposed using scattering theory. The newly developed formalism is demonstrated to be identical the early theory in limiting case. While our formalism is convenient to include the effects of disorders and spin-orbit coupling which can resolve the quantitative controversies between early theory and experiments. Second, the spin pumping experiments indicates a much smaller spin Hall angle compared with the results obtained via the spin transfer torque measurements. We found that such issues can be resolved when taking into consideration the effects of non-local conductivity. And we conclude neither of the two methods measures the real spin Hall angle while the spin pumping methods provides much accurate estimations. Third, we developed the spin transport equations in weak scattering medium in the presence of spin-orbit coupling. Before this, all spin dependent electron transport has been modeled by the conventional spin diffusion equation. While recent spin injection experiments have seen the failure of spin diffusion equation. As the experimental fitting using spin diffusion models led to unrealistic conclusions. At last, we study the spin convertance in anti-ferromagnetic multilayers, where the spin information can be mutually transferred between ferromagnetic/anti-ferromagnetic and conduction electrons. Our theory successfully explained the experiment results that the insertion of thin NiO film between YIG/Pt largely enhances the spin Seebeck currents.

Par delà ses applications largement distribuées pour le stockage de l’information binaire, la spintronique vise le traitement Booléen de l’information. Des dispositifs de logique de spin (spin-FETs et portes logiques de spin) sont envisagés en se basant sur la propagation et la manipulation de porteurs polarisés en spin injectés dans un canal latéral depuis un contact magnétique. En dépit de deux décennies de recherche active, l’efficacité des dispositifs (notamment en termes de longueur de propagation du spin et d’amplitude du signal de spin) est toujours limitée quand le canal latéral est un métal ou un semi-conducteur conventionnel : la mise en évidence d’un medium adapté est nécessaire.Le transport dépendant du spin dans le graphène a été étudié dans le cadre de cette thèse. Dans un premier temps, l'impact et la structure de barrières tunnel de haute qualité déposées sur le graphène, nécessaires pour l'injection efficace de l'information de spin, ont été étudiés. A partir de ces résultats, des dispositifs complets d'injection, transport et détection de spin basés sur un feuillet de graphène épitaxié ainsi que sur une bicouche de graphène exfoliée ont alors été construits. Enfin, des mesures de transport du spin dans ces dispositifs ont été effectuées, puis analysées via les modèles classiques de drift/diffusion. Les forts signaux obtenus (gamme du MΩ), en validant l'existence d'un support capable de transporter le spin avec une très forte efficacité sur des distances macroscopiques (jusqu’à 200 µm), ouvrent la voie à une implémentation des concepts de traitement de l'information de spin. / Beyond its widely distributed applications for binary data storage, spintronics aims Boolean information processing. Spin logic devices (spin-FETs and spin logic gates) are envisioned through the propagation and the manipulation of a spin-polarized carriers injected into a lateral channel from a magnetic contact. In spite of two decades of active research, the devices efficiency (in particular in terms of spin propagation length and spin signal amplitude) is still limited when the lateral channel is made of conventional metals or semiconductors: a suitable host still lacks. Spin-dependant transport in graphene is investigated in this thesis. At first, the impact of the growth and on the structure of high quality tunnel barriers deposited on graphene, required to obtain an efficient injection of the spin information, has been studied. From these results, complete devices for spins injection, transport and detection based on an epitaxial graphene sheet and also on an exfoliated bilayer graphene flake were built. Finally, measurements of spin transport in these devices were carried, and then analyzed through classical drift/diffusion models. The strong signals obtained (MΩ range), by validating the existence of a substrate able to carry the spin information with a very large efficiency on macroscopic distances (up to 200 µm), open the way for the implementation of spin processing concepts.

In the present thesis we introduce the reader to the field of spintronics and explore new phenomena, such as spin transfer torques, spin filtering, and three types of spin-orbit torques, Rashba, spin Hall, and spin swapping, which have emerged very recently and are promising candidates for a new generation of memory devices in computer technology. A general overview of these phenomena is presented in Chap. 1. In Chap. 2 we study spin transfer torques in tunnel junctions in the presence of spin filtering. In Chap. 3 we discuss the Rashba torque in ferromagnetic films, and in Chap. 4 we study spin Hall effect and spin swapping in ferromagnetic films, exploring the nature of spin-orbit torques based on these mechanisms. Conclusions and perspectives are summarized in Chap. 5.

The Cu/NiFe/Cu/Co/(CoOx) spin-valves have been prepared by the ion-beam sputtering method. Their GMR ratio and the time stability have been investigated by the magnetoresistance and the MOKE measurements at room temperature. The reproducibility of the preparation of the samples have been studied as well, i.e. two identically configurations of the layers should have the same magnetotransport properties.