Spin Currents in Superconductor-Ferromagnetic Thin Film Heterostructures

Traditionally, superconductivity and long-range ferromagnetic order are considered to be competing states of matter. The fabrication of thin film heterostructures, however, opens up the possibility to explore what fascinating phenomena emerge when these two states meet at a superconductor-ferromagnetic interface [1]. These include the creation of long-lived super-spin-currents that may hold the key to efficient spintronic devices, i.e. solid-state devices that exploit both electronic charge and spin [2].

During this PhD, you will work within an inter-disciplinary team based in the Department of Physics to design, fabricate and study new superconducting-ferromagnetic thin film heterostructures for superconducting spintronic devices. In particular, we will explore tuning magnetic texture [3] to influence both the superconducting state and the formation of long-range super-spin-currents. During the project, you will become adept in a range of materials deposition and characterisation techniques, including central facility based measurements, such as low-energy muon spin spectroscopy [4]. In this way, we will exploit muons as a local, depth-dependent magnetic probe to explore the properties arising within different regions of the fabricated heterostructures. We will work in close collaboration with colleagues at the University of Bristol, who will provide theory and modelling of our experimental devices.

Applications should be made as soon as possible.