ABSTRACT:
Manipulation of the spin of electron by an electric rather than magnetic field is at the core of spintronics. Spin orbit interaction (SOI) is a natural way of coupling the spin to an electric field, but until recently efficient spin manipulation by SOI was only possible in semiconductors. In this talk, I will review recent discoveries of surprisingly strong SOI effects in metals, including SOI-induced pure spin currents and electric field control of magnetic anisotropy. I will show how these effects can be employed for generation and control of collective spin excitations in magnetic nanostructures. Applications of these effects in non-volatile computer memory and nanoscale microwave sources will also be discussed.