antiferromagnets

Prof. Dr. Olena (aka Helen) Gomonay

Antiferromagnets are prospective materials for spintronic applications as they show fast magnetic dynamics, low susceptibility to the magnetic fields and produce no stray fields. They have nontrivial magnetic structure, more magnetic degrees of freedoms and peculiar dynamics, as compared to ferromagnetic materials. rotation_of-AF.001

Application of antiferromagnets for information storage and development implies manipulation of states with the use of the magnetic fields or electrical currents. For this one needs to study the mechanisms that govern behaviour of antiferrantiferromagentic nanoparticles and textures in the presence of the external fields. My current reseach is focused on the problems of nonequilibrium magnetic dynamics of antiferromagnets induced by spin-orbit torques, temperature gradients, mechanical stresses etc. Strong magnetoelastic coupling, which is a peculiar feature of many antiferromagnetic materials, makes these problems more complicated and more facinating.

As a teacher I have a great experience in the field of quantum information theory and hope to find a way to use antiferromagnets as the active elements of quantum bits.

 

 

Publications (Highlights)

Awards & Fellowships

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Hristo Velkov

Magnetic skyrmion. Copyright (C) Hristo Velkov.
Magnetic skyrmion.
Copyright (C) Hristo Velkov.

My focus is on the magnetization dynamics in antiferromagnets. These are ordered magnetic materials with microscopically alternating magnetic moments and a zero net one. Antiferromagnets have a number of advantages over ferromagnets, most notably faster magnetization dynamics, insensitivity to disturbing magnetic fields and the absence of stray fields. Even though there is a long way to go, these materials have a strong potential of shaping the technology of the future.

I am currently studying magnetic skyrmions in generic antiferromagnets. There has been no experimental observation of antiferromagnetic skyrmions yet, however, theory allows for their existence. I am using a phenomenological and analytical approach to analyze the current-induced skyrmion motion in a particular class of antiferromagnets.

Publications

  • “Phenomenology of current-induced skyrmion motion in antiferromagnets”. H. Velkov, O. Gomonay, M. Beens, G. Schwiete, A. Brataas, J. Sinova and R. A. Duine (New J. Phys. 18(2016) 075016)
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