Researchers from NUS have demonstrated for the first time room temperature magnetization switching driven by giant spin-orbit torques (SOT) in topological insulator/conventional ferromagnetic heterostructures with an extremely low current density.

The researchers believe that such switching that uses so little power could be used to scale up spintronics devices. The researchers achieved the switching using an 8-nm layer of Bi₂Se₃ grown on top of a 6 nm layer of NiFe, a widely used ferromagnet.

Researcherrs from Likoping University in Sweden demonstrated a method to generate and manipulate the surface spin current in topological insulators.

The researchers used a combination of a topological insulator (Bismuth Telluride, Bi2Te3) and a regular GaAs semiconductor. The electrons were generated with the same spin in the GaAs using polarized light. The electrons were then transferred to the TI.

Researchers from Berkeley Lab and UC Berkeley synthesized a new 2D topological insulator material, called 1T’-WTe2. In such a material the flow of electrons is completely linked to the direction of their spin, and is limited to the edge of the material.

This material excites the scientists as they see great spintronics applications of 2D topological insulators. The researchers now aim to synthesize larger samples and find out the way to selectively adjust and emphasize particular characteristics

Researchers from Purdue University have demonstrated how topological insulators can be used to create rechargeable "spin batteries". The demonstration showed how spin momentum locking can retain the spin even after two days without current.

Spin momentum locking is an effect in topological insulators in which the spin of the electrons on the edge of the material change their spin when current is applied.

The University of Minnesota (UMN) published yet another video, interviewing several researchers at the Center for Spintronic Materials, Interfaces, and Novel Architectures (C-SPIN). The topic this time is topological insulators - priming new class of materials.

Topological insulators are materials in which the edges are conductive but the rest of the material acts like an insulator).

An interesting interview with Nobel Laureate (1998, Physics) Albert Fert regarding the future of spintronics, STT-MRAM, topological insulators and more:

Researchers from MIT and colleagues from the US, Germany France and India discovered that when you combine a topological insulator (bismuth selenide) with a magnetic material (europium sulfide) you create a material that one can can control its magnetic properties. The new material retains the electronic property of the topological insulator and also the full magnetization capabilities of the magnetic material.

The researchers were surprised by the stability of that effect - in fact the material exhibited those great properties at room temperatures, which means that this hybrid material can be used to create spintronics devices.

Researchers from the Helmholtz-Zentrum demonstrated that topological insulators are suitable for Spintronics applications. The researchers showed how the spins of the electrons in topological insulators can be controlled.

The researchers used circularly-polarized laser to investigate samples of antimony-telluride, a topological insulator. Using the rotational direction of the laser, it is possible to initiate and direct spin-polarised current. The researchers also succeeded to change the orientation of the spins.

Researchers from the University of Utah developed a new topological insulator made from bismuth metal deposited on silicon. This material may be very suitable for quantum computers and fast spintronic devices.

This new material has the largest energy gap ever predicted. It can also be used alongside silicon so this material may be relatively easy to be used alongside current semiconductor technology.

Professor Laurens Molenkamp from the University of Würzburg has been awarded a Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize from the German Research Foundation (DFG). This prestigious award comes with a €2.5 million (almost $3.5 million).

Laurens Molenkamp is regarded as one of the fathers of semiconductor spintronics. He was also the first researchers to succeed in the experimental realization of topological insulators.