Seminar: Stefanos Carlström

Abstract: I will discuss our recent research on electron spin dynamics in atoms and small molecules. First, I will discuss various ways of efficiently generating spin-polarized photoelectrons from rare gas atoms, both in the multiphoton and single-photon regimes, and how we can use the spin- and angle-resolved photoelectron spectra to image the core hole motion. 

I will also present our recent discovery of a strong connection between the spatial orientation of the ion and the spin polarization of the photoelectron. This connection explains surprisingly strong chirality-induced spin selectivity (CISS) — the ability of chiral matter to orient the electron spin, locking it to the orientation of the chiral system.

Last but not least, I will introduce the new exciting field of spin migration: the new effect where the coupling of the nuclear and electronic motions in an argon dimer drives spin currents across the dimer.