Browse Physics

In the design of spintronic devices, magnetic semiconductors have the potential to be an “all in one material,” but they are usually ferromagnetic only at low temperatures. However, by growing an iron layer on top of a magnetic semiconductor it is possible to induce room-temperature ferromagnetism in a thin layer near the interface.

The effects of torques caused by spin-polarized currents are often unwanted in magnetic nanostructures, but they can be diminished with the right design.

If a magnet is small enough, an electric current carrying polarized spins can flip it around. Scientists are finding clever ways to control this spin-torque effect precisely, both for when it is wanted and when it is not.

From conservation laws to selection rules, symmetry arguments have long been revered for their far-reaching consequences in physics. Now they point to an effective spin-orbit coupling in antiferromagnetic conductors.

The efficient injection of polarized spins from magnetic materials into semiconductors, a prerequisite for spintronics applications, is a formidable challenge. With ferromagnetic Co2FeSi it is now possible to achieve a spin injection efficiency of close to 50%.

Spin decoherence is a fundamental obstacle in quantum computation and spintronics. Scientists show they can increase the lifetime of a localized spin in a diamond lattice up to 100 times by polarizing the surrounding spins on the lattice.

The 2007 Nobel Prize in Physics recognizes the discovery of giant magnetoresistance, which allowed dramatic improvements in memory density for disk drives (revised 23 October).

A new design for a microwave laser would make the device compact enough to fit on a computer chip.

A nanoscale ‘bridge’ should twist a measurable amount when a current of spin-aligned electrons flows across. Future electronic devices may be based on manipulating such tiny spin currents.

A subtle quantum effect produces currents of electron spin without the currents of electricity that normally accompany them.

A new way of generating spin polarized electric currents using light may help in the development of ‘spintronic’ devices.