Joan Pérez Alemany
Research project
Orbital currents for spin excitations and exchange interactions
Project supervisor
Prof. Yuriy Mokrousov
Recruitment date
02/10/2026
My name is Joan Pérez Alemany, I am 23 years old and I was born in Valencia, Spain.
From a young age, I have always been a very curious person and developed a great interest in science, technology, and mathematics. I was fortunate enough to pursue a double bachelor’s degree in Physics and Mathematics at the University of Valencia, and by studying both degrees I became fascinated by how, through abstract numerical and mathematical tools we are able to describe nature. During my research Master's, I collaborated with the centre CIC nanoGUNE in San Sebastián, Spain, where we studied the theoretical description of magnetic field interaction in 2D semiconductors, providing a formulation that must be studied through the topological and geometric properties of the electronic band structure of these materials.
On the other hand, I have a strong vocation for teaching, and I believe that sharing knowledge is the fundamental part of doing science. I applied to the ORBIS IRP7 project since it aligned very closely with my interests: studying deeper topological condensed matter physics, and I saw it as a fantastic opportunity to discover new places, new research groups, and new challenges that would certainly give me a broader perspective for my personal and professional growth. In the future, my goal is hopefully to remain in academia within the university, and continuing to explore how mathematical and numerical tools allow us to discover, describe, and understand new physics.
Project Description
The generation of orbital currents by an electric field is turning into an exciting avenue for possible applications of orbital physics. At the same time, the manipulation of the magnetization in magnetic materials via the mechanism of so-called orbital torques has come to occupy a major place in the research on magnetization switching owing to the high orbital torque efficiency and long-range character of orbital magnetoelectric coupling.
Despite a strong recent interest in orbital torques, the interplay of orbital currents with spin excitations, which may themselves inherently possess non-vanishing angular momentum, is not at all explored. The focus of the project lies in addressing the theoretical description of microscopic processes which govern the interaction of orbital currents with spin excitations and spin chirality, with an ultimate goal of sharpening our ability to manipulate the spin degree of freedom in solids subject to fluctuations.
The main tools and concepts to be used in the project are: density functional theory, Kubo linear response theory, modern approach to orbital magnetism in solids.
Host institution
Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz (JGU) is a public research university. The Department of Physics of JGU is one of the largest and most highly ranked departments (top 5-10 in Germany, top 50-100 in recent rankings globally). It was ranked #1 in the German Research Foundation Research Funding Atlas both for physics overall and condensed matter physics in 2018 and again in 2021.
The Topological Nanoelectronics Group focuses on novel response and transport effects in complex magnetic systems ranging from interfaces of transition metals to skyrmions. We make extensive use of the predictive power of density functional theory as our main tool for investigating topological phases in real materials, thereby bridging the gap between experimental advances and progress in theoretical understanding of topological effects in realistic materials. As a result, we dedicate a large part of our activities to developing first-principles methodologies for addressing the electron and spin properties which are rooted in the topological nature of electrons in solids.
Planned Secondments
Academic Secondment
Uppsala Universitet (UU)
Uppsala, Sweden
Prof. Peter Oppeneer | Prof. Jan Rusz
Industrial Secondment
Simune Atomistics SL (SIMUNE)
Donostia / San Sebastián, Spain
Dr. Mónica García Mota
Registering University
Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz
Germany