Julian Bernat
Research project
Enhancing the efficiency of orbital-to-spin conversion for spin-orbit torque devices
Project supervisor
Prof. Pietro Gambardella
Recruitment date
01/09/2026
My name is Julian. I was born and raised in Warsaw, Poland.
I moved to Groningen, the Netherlands, to pursue a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Physics, followed by a Master’s degree in Nanoscience, both at the University of Groningen. During my Master’s, I also completed an internship in Japan at the National Institute for Materials Science (NIMS) in Tsukuba, where I worked on thin-film superconductivity.
My primary scientific interests lie in magnetism, spin dynamics, and quantum devices. After five years in Groningen, I am excited to transition to a new environment and begin my PhD in physics. My research will focus on enhancing the efficiency of orbital-to-spin conversion for spin–orbit torque devices. What particularly excites me about working with ORBIS is its interdisciplinary environment and the opportunity to experimentally explore seemingly simple phenomena that can yield unexpected and insightful results. I look forward to meeting new people and exchanging ideas in a collaborative scientific setting.
Outside of science, I have a strong interest in 3D printing and CAD design. In my free time, I enjoy staying active through sports such as fencing, football, squash, and bouldering.
Project Description
Electrical control of the magnetization in nanoscale devices is essential for realizing nonvolatile storage and logic devices that combine high speed and endurance. The recently discovered generation of orbital currents and their conversion into spin torques provides a means to improve the efficiency of spintronic devices. Although magnetization switching through these processes -collectively referred to as orbital torques (OT)- has been demonstrated, its efficiency has yet to be benchmarked, particularly with respect to power consumption and the timescales of the associated magnetization dynamics. The objective of the IRP is to fabricate OT devices and characterize their switching processes and speed, optimizing the generation and relaxation of orbital and spin momenta in heterostructures consisting of different magnetic and nonmagnetic materials. Experiments will involve the deposition of thin films with varying compositions, nanofabrication, measurements of current-induced OT and spin torques, and time-resolved magnetization switching using either electrical or magneto-optic methods. In select cases of interest, element- and spatially-resolved switching measurements can be performed using X-ray scanning transmission microscopy measurements, employing techniques developed by ETHZ at the Swiss Light Source. Modelling and micromagnetic simulations will be performed to complement experimental results.
Host institution
ETH Zürich is one of the world-leading universities for technology and the natural sciences. It is well-known for its education, fundamental research, and technology transfer. Founded in 1855, ETHZ today has more than 25000 students from over 120 countries, including 4500 doctoral students.
The Laboratory of Magnetism and Interfaces is specialized in the study of spintronic devices, heterostructures and nanomagnets, with emphasis on spin torques and spin-orbit phenomena. Sample growth facilities are available as well as electrical, optical, and scanning probe characterization tools.
Planned Secondments
Academic Secondment
Laboratoire Albert Fert (CNRS-LAF)
Paris-Saclay, France
Henri Jaffrès
Industrial Secondment
Singulus Technologies AG
Kahl am Main, Germany
Jürgen Langer
Registering University
ETH Zürich
Switzerland