Materials' Specific Modeling of Orbital Angular Momentum Phenomena

Project title: Materials' Specific Modeling of Orbital Angular Momentum Phenomena
Main applicant: Peter Oppeneer, Materials Theory
Grant amount: SEK 3 153 000 for the period 2027-2029

Apart from spin angular momentum, electrons in solids also carry orbital angular momentum (OAM). This quantum property has not received as much attention as the electron’s spin, but recent discoveries unveiled the existence of significant OAM phenomena in solids.

The objective of this proposal is to advance substantially the fundamental understanding of how OAM can be generated, transported and utilized. To this end, I will build a quantitative theory framework to describe the microscopic generation and transport of OAM and make predictions for the unambiguous detection of electric field and light-induced OAM. The envisioned framework will be an ab-initio-based methodology that is capable to describe real materials and nanostructures and offer microscopic understanding.

The research will encompass OAM generation on different timescales, from quasi-static electric field induced to OAM imparted by ultrashort light pulses. Theoretical methodology will be developed to address how OAM information is lost during transport. Ab-initio-based theory will be developed to compute the orbital current injection across metallic interfaces, to study time-dependence of OAM, and to predict signatures for the unambiguous detection of OAM.

Since currently not much is known about OAM phenomena in solids, there exist excellent opportunities to perform groundbreaking research, discover new phenomena and provide fundamental knowledge, which is the aim of this proposal.