Kjetil Magne Dørheim Hals

Professor Kjetil Magne Dørheim Hals is a leading researcher in spintronics and spinmechatronics at the Department of Engineering Sciences, University of Agder, Norway. He has held academic positions at Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz, and the Niels Bohr International Academy.

Dr. Hals received his Ph.D. in theoretical physics from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) in 2011, where he also completed his Master of Science in physics in 2007. His doctoral research was supervised by Professor Arne Brataas.

Professor Hals' research focuses on spintronics and spinmechatronics, where electron spin (rather than just charge) is used to develop novel spin-based devices. His work spans antiferromagnetic systems, superconductor-ferromagnet heterostructures, topological spin phenomena, and spin transport dynamics. His research has significant implications for developing ultra-fast, low-power electronic devices that could revolutionize memory technology and quantum computing architectures.

His recent publications demonstrate a clear progression toward practical applications of spin-based phenomena, particularly in antiferromagnetic thermoelectrics and voltage-controlled terahertz oscillators. The research shows increasing focus on topological aspects of spin systems and their potential for quantum computing applications.

• Young Research Talent Grant (2019-2023) from The Research Council of Norway
• Niels Bohr Postdoctoral Prize Fellowship (2014-2016)
• ExxonMobil Researcher Prize for best Ph.D. at NTNU
• Prize for Best Ph.D. degree at NTNU's Faculty of Natural Science and Technology

Professor Hals currently supervises four Ph.D. students (Mike Alexander Lund, Feodor S. Konomaev, Mithuss Tharmalingam, and Sofie Helene Ursin) and has secured substantial research funding, including a 12 million NOK grant for Ultra-Efficient Energy Harvesting with Antiferromagnetic Thermoelectrics (2023-2028) and an 8 million NOK grant for Antiferromagnetic Spinmechatronics (2019-2023). His research group explores fundamental spin phenomena with potential applications in next-generation electronic devices.