People Directory


Yaroslav Tserkovnyak

Yaroslav Tserkovnyak
Associate Professor
Condensed Matter Theory

Office: 6-137 C Knudsen
Phone: 310-794-9520
E-Mail: [javascript protected email address]

Educational Background: 
  • Ph.D. in Physics, Harvard University, 2003
  • B.Sc. in Physics and Mathematics, University of British Columbia, 1999
Positions Held: 
  • 2006-present: Assistant Professor, UCLA
  • 2003-2006: Junior Fellow, Harvard Society of Fellows
Research Interest: 

My interests lie broadly in quantum transport and nonequilibrium phenomena in nanostructures. Specific topics include (1) Spin-charge coupled transport in the presence of spin-orbit interactions: Boundary spin Hall effect, spin diffusion and spin drag, Aharonov-Casher spin interference effects in mesoscopic rings. Non-Abelian field-theoreical formulation of spin-orbit interaction phenomena. (2) Nonlinear ferromagnetic dynamics in the presence of large currents: Nonlocal spin-torque effects, pumping and damping, magnetic instabilities, domain-wall dynamics, finite-temperature and stochastic effects, microwave emission; magnetic memory, spin transistor, and spin battery applications. (3) Strongly correlated one-dimensional systems: Transport manifestations of spin-charge separation, finite temperature and finite-energy effects beyond Luttinger-liquid paradigm, bosonic and fermionic Wigner crystals, localization in one dimension. (4) Side interests include critical dynamics in classical fluid systems such as biological membranes, elasticity and sound propagation in porous and granular media, non-Abelian statistics and other quantum topological effects in two dimensions.

Selected Publications: 
  • Nonlocal Magnetization Dynamics in Ferromagnetic Hybrid Nanostructures. Y. Tserkovnyak, A. Brataas, G. E. W. Bauer, and B. I. Halperin, Rev. Mod. Phys., Vol. 77, 1375 (2005)
  • Spontaneous-Symmetry-Breaking Mechanism of Adiabatic Pumping. Y. Tserkovnyak and A. Brataas, Phys. Rev. B, Vol. 71, 052406 (2005)
  • Spin-Charge Separation and Localization in One Dimension. O. M. Auslaender, H. Steinberg, A. Yacoby, Y. Tserkovnyak, B. I. Halperin, K. W. Baldwin, L. N. Pfeiffer, and K. W. West, Science, Vol. 308, 88 (2005)
  • Monte Carlo Evaluation of Non-Abelian Statistics. Y. Tserkovnyak and S. H. Simon, Phys. Rev. Lett., Vol. 90, 016802 (2003)
  • Dynamic Exchange Coupling in Magnetic Bilayers. B. Heinrich, Y. Tserkovnyak, G. Woltersdorf, A. Brataas, R. Urban, and G. E.W. Bauer, Phys. Rev. Lett., Vol. 90, 187601 (2003)
  • Finite-Size Effects in Tunneling between Parallel Quantum Wires. Y. Tserkovnyak, B. I. Halperin, O. M. Auslaender, and A. Yacoby, Phys. Rev. Lett., Vol. 89, 136805 (2002)
  • Enhanced Gilbert Damping in Thin Ferromagnetic Films. Y. Tserkovnyak, A. Brataas, and G. E. W. Bauer, Phys. Rev. Lett., Vol. 88, 117601 (2002)