Physics Colloquium & IEEE Magnetics Society Distinguished Lecture: Pumping Iron: Revealing Counterintuitive Mechanisms of Magnetization Dynamics

Prof. Satoru Emori, Virginia Tech

Abstract: In any magnetic material, rotating the magnetization involves “damping,” somewhat akin to friction that dampens mechanical oscillations. Minimizing damping is crucial for energy-efficient nano-magnetic memories and signal generators. However, the mechanisms of damping in real materials – even in seemingly simple ones – have yet to be understood. In this talk, I will present a counterintuitive insight into damping in simple model systems: epitaxial thin films of iron. It turns out that the key damping mechanism arises from “procrastinating” electrons.

Biography: Satoru Emori is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics at Virginia Tech. He received his B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of California, Irvine in 2008 and his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2013. Following his postdoctoral work at Northeastern University and Stanford University, he joined the faculty of Virginia Tech in Fall 2017. His research aims to understand and control the physics of magnetization and flowing spins in magnetic thin films, which have the potential to enable energy-efficient memories and computers. He received a National Science Foundation CAREER Award in 2022, was selected as an APS Outstanding Referee in 2024, and is now serving as an IEEE Magnetics Society Distinguished Lecturer for the year 2024.