Keith Gilmore

While great progress has been made toward the ability to accurately calculate absorption spectra of crystalline materials, such calculations are typically limited to obtaining the energy positions of spectral peaks. Most calculations broaden these peaks ad hoc to match experimental results, however, the peak-widths contain useful information about the interactions between the excited electronic states and the environment. We seek to quantify the spectral broadening of perovskite systems due to vibronic interactions and electronic decay processes.

The ability to electrically control magnetic systems holds great technological promise. Spin-transfer torque is one means of electrical control of magnetic materials. As a current passes through a ferromagnetic material the current becomes spin-polarized. When the direction of the magnetization of the magnetic material varies in space the polarization of the spin-current can be misaligned with the magnetization. In this situation, a torque will exist between the two and the magnetization will rotate. We conduct numerical work to understand the physical origins of this torque and to be able to quantify the effect predictively.

Awards:

National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow, 2008-2010
American Physical Society Magnetism Topical Group Dissertation Award, 2008
Graduate student award to attend the 55th Lindau Meeting of Nobel Laureates and Students, 2005

Current research:

Calculation of optical constants and dielectric response
Ultrafast electron dynamics
Spin-transfer torque

Previous publications:

• "Nonadiabatic spin-transfer torque in real materials," I. Garate, K. Gilmore, M.D. Stiles, and A.H. MacDonald, Phys. Rev. B 79, 104416 (2009).
• "Spin-orbit  precession damping in transition metal ferromagnets," (Invited) K. Gilmore, Y.U. Idzerda, and M.D. Stiles, J. App. Phys. 103, 07D303 (2008).
• "Identification of the dominant precession-damping mechanism in Fe, Co, and Ni by first-principles calculations, K. Gilmore, Y.U. Idzerda, and M.D. Stiles, Phys. Rev. Lett. 99, 027204 (2007).