Orbital angular momentum of Bloch electrons: equilibrium formulation, magneto-electric phenomena, and the orbital Hall effect

Abstract

The investigation of orbital angular momentum (OAM) of delocalised Bloch electrons has advanced our understanding of magnetic, transport, and optical phenomena in crystals, drawing widespread interest across various materials science domains, from metals and semiconductors to topological and magnetic materials. Here, we review OAM dynamics in depth, focusing on key concepts and non-equilibrium systems, and laying the groundwork for the thriving field of orbitronics. We review briefly the conventional understanding of the equilibrium OAM based on the modern theory of orbital magnetisation. Following this, we explore recent theoretical and experimental developments in out-of-equilibrium systems. We focus on the generation of an OAM density via the orbital magneto-electric, or Edelstein effect, the generation of an OAM current via the orbital Hall effect, the orbital torque resulting from them, along with their reciprocal non-equilibrium counterparts – the inverse orbital Edelstein and inverse orbital Hall effects, as well as OAM conservation. We discuss the most salient achievements and the most pressing challenges in this rapidly evolving field, and in closing we highlight the future prospects of orbitronics.

Keywords

• Orbital magnetoelectric effect
• Orbital Hall effect
• Orbital angular momentum
• Orbital Edelstein effect
• Orbital torque