Spin and orbital currents in solids. The latest frontiers in electronics? 

Welcome and Opening

Why I do we care now about orbital currents?

A reminder of atomic physics. Spin and orbital momenta. Crystal field and quenching of orbital momentum. Spin-orbit coupling. Time-dependent Schrödinger equation.

Band structure, orbitals and Fermi surfaces of simplest 3d-t_2g or 3d-e_g cases

Fermi surfaces and orbital mixing under E-bias. Orbital currents. An insight for newcomers.

Time dependent evolution of electronic states. (Un)quenching orbital momentum. The ubiquitous orbital currents. Orbital accumulation and flow. Orbital currents in p-Si. Orbital textures in 3d metals (t_2g, e_g).

Electron hopping and Aharonov-Bohm effect. Orbital currents and Berry phase. Reminder of SHE and the role of SOC. Comparison to OHE. Orbital accumulation and exchange interactions. Can OC create magnetic torque? Relative strength of OHE and SHE in 3d and heavier 4,5d metals. Expectations from theory. Charge-spin and charge-orbital conversion. Definitions and expected values

Orbital and magnetic torques, Hall-like transport measurements and beyond. Discriminating OT from ST.

Spin and orbital pumping using ferromagnetic resonance; MOKE and THz emission

Go to lab. Hands on experiments.

What’s next ?