June 2011

Researchers from Japan have succeeded in directly observing electron spins in a topological insulator (Bi2Te3). Topological insulator is a promising material for Spintronics because its "edge" can serve as a conducting path depending on the spin polarization.

The magnitude of the out-of-plane spin polarization is 25% at most compared to the in-plane counterpart. The researchers say that the out-of-plane spin polarization exists because of the hexagonally deformed Fermi surface in the Bi2Te3, because it does not exist in TlBiSe2 which has a circular Fermi surface.

Researchers from Europe developed a graphene based device that can detect magnetic fields with a record sensitivity (down to the stray field of few magnetic molecules, better than the previous record of sensitivity by a factor of 100). The graphene was used like a spider web to chemically 'trap' the molecules and detect their magnetization at the same time. This new development may enable ultra-high density Spintronics memory and molecular sensors.

Researchers from the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of Konstanz in Germany, led by David Awschalom reported a breakthrough in the use of diamond in quantum physics. The physicists were able to coax the fragile quantum information contained within a single electron in diamond to move into an adjacent single nitrogen nucleus, and then back again using on-chip wiring.

The discovery shows the high-fidelity operation of a quantum mechanical gate at the atomic level, enabling the transfer of full quantum information to and from one electron spin and a single nuclear spin at room temperature. The process is scalable, and opens the door to new solid-state quantum device development.

Today we updated our logo for Spintronics-Info, here's the new design:

We hope you like it. We also think that it removes some clutter and makes our page easier on the eyes...

Researchers from the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) discovered that using lithium fluoride as a barrier between layers of a spin valve can improve the transmission of electrons and the magnetic dynamics of the system,. This significantly improving the efficiency of novel organic semiconductor spin valves.

Physicists from the University of Arizona (UA) propose a way to translate the elusive magnetic spin of electrons into easily measurable electric signals. They say that this is a key step in the development of Spintronics computers. Their research (based on theoretical calculations controlled by numerical simulations) proposes a protocol using existing technology and requiring only small magnetic fields to measure the spin of electrons. They use a nanoscale structure known as a quantum point contact and place a small magnetic field around it that allows them to measure the spin.

Philippe Jacquod (an associate professor) says that if you want to understand the concept of spintronics, it helps to picture each electron as a tiny magnet. "Every electron has a certain mass, a certain charge and a certain magnetic moment, or as we physicists call it, a spin," he said. "The electron is not physically spinning around, but it has a magnetic north pole and a magnetic south pole. Its spin depends on which pole is pointing up.". In the image above, you see a magnet (left) compared to an electron (right), surrounded by a magnetic field.

A team of researchers (from CNRS in Grenoble, IPCM at the University of Strasbourg, and KIT's Institute of Nanotechnology) manufactured a spintronics nano-switch by coating synthetic adhesives on magnetic molecules so that the molecules fitted themselves on a nanotube without any interference.

The newly fabricated component does not comprise alloys, metals or oxides but consists of soft materials such as molecules and carbon nanotubes.

Plures Technologies announced that it will merge with CMSF Corporation, a publicly traded company with no significant operations. This means that the Plures will become a public company (OTCBB:CMSF). The public company will be called Plures Technologies. Plures main business it its 95% stake in Advanced MicroSensors Corporation (AMS). AMS is a semiconductor foundry, which develops and fabricates MEMS and spintronics solutions.

AMS's magnetic sensor product line uses magnetoresistive (AMR, GMR) materials and magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). According to the company, their sensors exhibit excellent performance, and they outperform traditional Hall Effect devices with regard to size, power, sensitivity, accuracy and resolution.

The Yamamoto Group at Hokkaido University is researching spintronics devices that use new ferromagnetic materials. These materials are called half-metals, and the spins of the materials are completely aligned. Here's a nice video about their research: