Cavity Spintronics: Expanding the horizons for microwave, THz, magnetic, and quantum technologies

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Cavity Spintronics is a newly developing interdisciplinary field that started around 2014. It utilizes cavity techniques, which have transformed many other disciplines, to investigate the strong light--matter interaction between magnetic materials and electromagnetic waves. Via the quantum physics of spin--photon entanglement on the one hand, and via classical electrodynamic coupling on the other, the emergence of this field connects some of the most exciting modern physics, such as quantum information and quantum optics, with one of the oldest sciences on the earth, magnetism. Now is the right time to harness the new physics of cavity spintronics to expand the horizons for microwave, THz, magnetic, and quantum technologies. Also key to the timing of this proposal is our own research momentum built up in the past 4 years, during which my students and I have made original and unique contributions to reveal and utilize the physics of the cavity magnon polariton (CMP), a versatile quasi-particle that has both spin and photon characteristics. ******Building on these opportunities, the goals of my research program are to use cavity spintronics approaches to address the fundamental questions of light--matter interaction in spin-photon coupled systems, and to create novel devices for innovating microwave, THz, magnetic, and quantum technologies. Our unique advantage stems from our world--leading ability to electrically detect CMP with high sensitivity, the ability to directly probe both the amplitude and phase of CMP, the proficiency of fabricating on--chip high--quality cavity circuits, and the capacity of the research infrastructure in my lab which was renovated in the past 5 years with a vast set of tools for performing cavity spintronics experiments at extreme conditions (such as in high magnetic fields, at ultra-low temperatures, and with ac modulations up to high frequencies). We will use these techniques to study ferromagnetic metals, ferromagnetic insulators, antiferromagnets, as well as hybrid devices with tailored functions made of the combination of these materials and high--quality cavities. Examples of key topics that we will work on include inventing the CMP--based solid-state maser, developing non-reciprocal control of microwave transmission, exploring THz cavity spintronics, and facilitating industrial applications of cavity--enhanced sensing. Existing industrial collaborations with researchers at BlackBerry®, Everspin, and OPI Systems will allow rapid translation of advances in my lab into either proof- of- concept or prototype devices for commercial use, and will therefore have a significant impact in the quickly advancing field of cavity spintronics. Funding for this program will be primarily used for supporting 4 graduate and 2 undergraduate students (every year), training them to gain unique skills highly desirable in the knowledge-intensive information and communication technology (ICT) sector of the Canadian economy.