Andrew D. Kent

Professor Of Physics, Director of the Center for Quantum Phenomena
New York University

Email: andy.kent@nyu.edu
Lab Homepage: http://www.physics.nyu.edu/kentlab

Research Interests:

Magnetism and transport in mesoscopic systems; magnetic quantum tunneling and coherence in nanostructures; spin-dependence electron transport (spintronics), giant magnetoresistance; spin-angular momentum transfer; scanning probe microscopy of nanostructured materials; novel local probes of cooperative phenomena in nanomagnets.

Biography:

Andrew Kent is a Professor of Physics at New York University. He received his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1988 and conducted post-doctoral research at the University of Geneva in Switzerland and the IBM T. J. Watson Research Center. His research interests are in the physics of magnetic nanostructures, nanomagnetic devices and magnetic information storage. He has conducted experimental studies of quantum tunneling of magnetization and coherence in arrays of nanometer scale magnets known as single molecule magnets. He has also studied spin-dependent transport and spin momentum transfer in thin film magnetic nanopillars. Kent has expertise in thin film growth and characterization, device nanofabrication and high frequency measurements including, ferromagnetic resonance, electron paramagnetic resonance and time-resolved studies of magnetization dynamics. In 2007 he founded Spin-Transfer Technologies, a startup company developing spin torque magnetic random access memory devices. Kent is a fellow of the American Physical Society (APS), has served as chair of APS topical group on magnetism and its applications (GMAG) and is an advisory board member of the Committee of Concerned Scientists. He is on the executive committee of the APS Division of Condensed Matter Physics (DCMP) and Program Co-Chair of the 58th Annual Magnetism and Magnetic Materials conference (MMM 2013). Kent accomplishments were recognized by an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Lorraine (“Docteur Honoris Causa” de l'Universite de Lorraine), in September 2013. He received the French Jean d'Alembert Research Fellowship in 2017.

External Affiliations:

  • 1984-present, American Physical Society
  • 1996-present, American Association for the Advancement of Science
  • 2007-2010, APS Committee on International Freedom of Scientists
  • 2008-present, IEEE and Member of IEEE Magnetics Society
  • 2009-2012, Chair of GMAG, The APS Topical Group on Magnetism and its Applications
  • 2013, Program Co-Chair Magnetism and Magnetic Materials Conference
  • 2010-2015, Advisory Committee to the Conference on Magnetism and Magnetic Materials
  • 2013-2016, Executive Committee of DCMP, APS Division of Condensed Matter Physics
  • 2011-present, Advisory Board of the Committee of Concerned Scientists

Fellowships & Honors:

  • 2013, "Docteur Honoris Causa" (Honorary Doctorate), University of Lorraine, France
  • 2006, Fellow American Physical Society
  • 1997, Golden Dozen Teaching Award, New York University

Selected Publications:

  • A. D. Kent, J. Yu, U. Ruediger, and S. S. P. Parkin, Domain wall resistivity in epitaxial ferromagnetic thin film microstructures, Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter 13, R461-488 (2001)
  • B. Özyilmaz, A. D. Kent, D. Monsma, J. Z. Sun, M. J. Rooks and R. H. Koch, Current-induced magnetization reversal in high magnetic fields in Co/Cu/Cu Nanopillars, Physical Review Letters 91, 067203 (2003)
  • E. del Barco, A. D. Kent, E.-C. Yang and D. N. Hendrickson, Quantum Superposition of High Spin States in Single Molecule Magnet Ni4,Physical Review Letters 93, 157202 (2004) 
  • B. Özyilmaz, A. D. Kent, J. Z. Sun and R. H. Koch, Current Induced Excitations in Single Cobalt Ferromagnetic Layer Nanopillars, Physical Review Letters 93, 176604 (2004)
  • A. D. Kent, B. Özyilmaz and E. del Barco, Spin-Transfer Induced Precessional Magnetization Reversal, Applied Physics Letters 84, 3897 (2004)
  • E. del Barco, A. D. Kent, S. Hill, J. M. North, N.S. Dalal, E. M. Rumberger, D. N. Hendrickson, N. Chakov and G. Christou, Magnetic Quantum Tunneling in the Single Molecule Magnet Mn12-acetate, Journal of Low Temperature Physics 140, 119 (2005)
  • K. Martens, D. L. Stein and A. D. Kent, Magnetization reversal in nanoscopic ferromagnetic rings, Physical Review B 73, 054413 (2006)
  • A. D. Kent, “Spin-transfer in high magnetic fields and single magnetic layer nanopillars,” Chapter in Handbook of Magnetism and Advanced Magnetic Materials, Kronmuller, H. and Parkin S. (eds). John Wiley & Sons Ltd, Chichester, UK pp 2611-2629, 2007.
  • W. Chen, J.-M. L. Beaujour, G. de Loubens, A. D. Kent and J. Z. Sun “Spin-torque driven ferromagnetic resonance of Co/Ni synthetic layers in spin valves,” Applied Physics Letters 92, 012507 (2008)
  • G. de Loubens, D. A. Garanin, C. C. Beedle, D. N. Hendrickson, and A. D. Kent, “Magnetization relaxation in the single molecule magnet Ni4 under continuous microwave irradiation,” Europhysics Letters 83, 37006 (2008)
  • D. Bedau, H. Liu, J-J. Bouzaglou, A. D. Kent, J. Z. Sun, J. A. Katine, E. E. Fullerton and S. Mangin, Ultrafast Spin-Transfer Switching in Spin Valve Nanopillars with Perpendicular Anisotropy, Applied Physics Letters 96, 022514 (2010)
  • H. Liu, D. Bedau, D. Backes, J. A. Katine, J. Langer, and A. D. Kent, Ultrafast switching in magnetic tunnel junction based orthogonal spin,Applied Physics Letters 97, 242510 (2010)
  • F. Macia, A. D. Kent and F. Hoppenstead, Spin-wave interference patterns created by spin-torque nano-oscillators for memory and computation, Nanotechnology 22, 095301 (2011)
  • H. Liu, D. Bedau, D. Backes, J. Katine, and A. D. Kent, Precessional Reversal in Orthogonal Spin Transfer Magnetic Random Access Memory Devices, Applied Physics Letters 101, 032403 (2012)
  • A. A. Brataas, A. D. Kent, H. Ohno, “Current Current-Induced Torques in Magnetic Materials” Invited Review Article, Nature Materials 11, 372 (2012)
  • P. Subedi, Velez, F. Macia, S. Li, M. P. Sarachik, J. Tejada, S. Mukherjee, G. Christou, and A. D. Kent, Onset of a Propagating Self-Sustained Spin Reversal Front in a Magnetic System, Physical Review Letters 110, 207203 (2013)