Spintronics with rare-earth iron garnets: opportunities and challenges.

Place: conference room, IMDEA Nanociencia.

Abstract:

Spintronics has matured into a vibrant, interdisciplinary field at the intersection of
condensed matter physics, materials science, and nanotechnology. Advances in our understanding of spin transport and magnetic interactions, combined with the discovery of novel materials and experimental techniques, have driven remarkable progress. Central to spintronics research is the ability to control and detect magnetization using electrical currents, enabling efficient, nonvolatile
memory, logic, and signal transmission devices. Such technologies promise not only to enhance existing CMOS architectures but also to facilitate beyond-CMOS concepts that may lead to transformative shifts in microelectronics [1]. While conventional spintronic devices primarily rely on metallic and semiconducting materials, magnetic insulators, particularly rare-earth iron garnets
(REIGs), have recently emerged as promising alternatives due to their unique and highly tunable properties [2].

In this talk, we will review recent progress in REIG-based spintronics, highlighting key
experiments that demonstrate current-induced magnetization switching, domain wall motion, and magnetoresistive readout schemes in REIGs [3-6]. The emergence of interfacial Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interactions in garnet systems will be examined, including recent evidence of long-range DMI effects and their implications for chiral spin textures and domain wall dynamics [7].

Furthermore, we will explore advances in electrical detection strategies, notably spin-valve-like magnetoresistive readout of magnetization reversal in insulating garnets, which overcome longstanding challenges in integrating magnetic insulators into practical spintronic devices [5,8].

Finally, we will outline future opportunities for materials and device engineering [9], emphasizing the role of perpendicular ferrimagnetic insulators in enabling low-power, scalable spintronic technologies.
[1] Dieny et al., Nat. Electron. 3, 446 (2020).
[2] Avci, J. Phys. Soc. Jpn. 90, 081007 (2021).
[3] Avci et al., Nat. Mater. 16, 309 (2017).
[4] Avci et al., Nat. Nanotech. 14, 561 (2019).
[5] Damerio et al. Commun. Phys. 7, 114 (2024).
[6] Fedel et al., Commun. Phys. In-press (2026).
[7] Fedel et al., Adv. Funct. Mater. 2418653 (2025).
[8] Janus et al., Phys. Rev. Appl. 23, 024042 (2025).
[9] Shiino et al., Adv. Mater. (2025): e10669

Can Onur Avci is a Tenured Scientist and Group Leader at the Institute of Materials Science of Barcelona (ICMAB‑CSIC), where he leads the Spinmad group dedicated to spintronics and emergent magnetic phenomena in ultrathin magnetic heterostructures. His research combines materials growth, device fabrication, and advanced magneto‑transport characterization to explore spin physics, interfacial phenomena, and energy‑efficient mechanisms for controlling magnetization. Before joining CSIC, he worked at ETH Zürich and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, earning international recognition including the IUPAP Early Career Scientist Prize in Magnetism (2021) and the ETH Medal (2016). He has authored over 50 peer‑reviewed publications and leads several national and European projects, including an ERC Starting Grant.

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