The field of magnetic nanostructures and spin transport has continuously spawned highly valued discoveries over the past years and is still  under a rapid and lively development. Fundamental research in this field is fueled by the vision of dissipationless information processing when using pure spin currents instead of elecronic charge currents like in conventional semiconductor electronics. Top-level publications from this field receive thus an enormous degree of attention.

This lecture will lead from an introduction into the basics of spin and magnetism in reduced dimensions to some of the most fascinating recent examples of actual research. It will cover the following contents:

• Magnetic anisotropy
• Interlayer exchange coupling
• Molecular magnetism
• Spin injection
• Magnetoresistance effects and spintronics
• Pure spin currents
• Spin caloritronics
• Antiferromagnetic spintronics
• Magnetic domains and domain-wall motion
• Topological spin structures
• Magnetization dynamics