Spintronics is the use of the spin of an electron as well as its electronic charge for electronic applications. The prototype of spintronics is the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) effect, in which the resistance of a magnetic multilayer changes when magnetic field is applied.

The key of Spintronics in the ability to inject, manipulate and detects spins in solid state systems. Several schemes have been proposed in the past, including magnetic metal/semiconductor junctions, all metallic devices and all semiconducting systems. The aim of the Computational Spintronics Group at Trinity College Dublin is to investigate theoretically various aspects of Spintronics. In particular we are involved into two principal areas: 1) designing new magnetic materials for spin-devices, 2) modelling and understanding of spin-transport at molecular and atomic scale.

We use several computational techniques including density functional ab initio methods, empirical tight-binding methods, model Hamiltonians, linear and non-equilibrium transport theories. Some of the techniques are developed within the group, in particular transport techniques and density functional methods.

Our research is strongly connected with the on-going experimental activity at Trinity College Dublin, in particular with the Magnetism and Spin Electronics group of Prof. J.M.D. Coey. At present we are involved in two main areas of research: