Alexander Edström

I investigate the properties of materials, especially magnetism and magnetic materials, using first principles theory and electronic structure calculations. Recently, I am interested in strain gradient or curvature induced magnetic phenomena (flexomagnetism).

I recieved my PhD at the Uppsala University, division for Materials Theory in 2016, with a thesis focused on first principles theory of magnetic materials. After that I spent three years as postdoctoral researcher at the ETH Zürich in Switzerland, where I studied novel phenomena in multiferroic materials. Next, I started my current research direction of flexomagnetism, as VR International Postdoc hosted at KTH and Institut de Ciencia de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB-CSIC) in Barcelona, Spain.

My publications are listed on Google Scholar.

I participate in the Method Development for Materials Design (MD2) project of the Swedish e-Science Research Centre (SeRC).

I also participate in the Wallenberg Initiative Materials Science for Sustainability (WISE) through the WISE/WASP joint program, together with Pawel Herman and Madhura Marathe.

Research Interests

Selected Publications

• A. Edström, et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 128, 177202 (2022) - Curved Magnetism in CrI3
  Selected as Editor's Suggestion
  We used advanced, relativistic density functional theory (DFT) calculations, including non-collinear spins, to investigate the flexomagnetic coupling between magnetism and curvature in the 2D magnet CrI3. The results show that curvature drastically changes the magnetic state of the material, from a ferromagnetic out-of-plane magnetization in the flat monolayer, to a cycloidal spin state in the curved case. This is explained in terms of a curvature induced Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya type interaction and changes to the magnetic anisotropy. The results pave the way for using curvature to induce and control complex magnetism in 2D magnets.

• A. Edström, C. Ederer, Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 167201 (2020) - Prediction of a Giant Magnetoelectric Cross-Caloric Effect around a Tetracritical Point in Multiferroic SrMnO\(_3\)
  We showed, computationally, that strain engineering perovskite SrMnO\(_3\) into its multiferroic phase, allows for a novel and large cross-caloric effect. Here, this implies that a strong magnetoelectric coupling enables the magnetic entropy change to greatly enhance the electrocaloric effect. Caloric effects are promising for developing new, energy efficient refrigeration technologies.

• A. Edström, A. Lubk, and J. Rusz, Phys. Rev. Lett.116, 127203 (2016) - Elastic Scattering of Electron Vortex Beams in Magnetic Matter
  After developing new computational methods to describe electron scattering processes in magnetic materials, we applied these to study the scattering of, so called, electron vortex beams in magnetic solids, paving the way for novel high-resolution imaging techniques of magnetism using transmission electron microscopy (TEM).

• A. Edström et al., Phys. Rev. B92, 174413 (2015) - Magnetic properties of\((\mathrm{Fe}_{1-x}\mathrm{Co}_{x})_2\mathrm{B}\) alloys and the effect of doping by 5d elements
  Collaborating with experimental colleagues, we showed that small amounts of 5d-dopants can drastically alter the magnetic anistropy of the 3d-transition metal magnet\((\mathrm{Fe}_{1-x}\mathrm{Co}_{x})_2\mathrm{B}\). This is a result of utmost importance to the design of new permanent magnet materials, which are crucial for green energy production (motors and generators for wind power, electric vehicles etc.).\(\)