April 2017

Researchers from the DoE's Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory discovered that 2-D chromium germanium telluride (CGT) feature an intrinsic ferromagnetism. Up until now it was not clear whether magnetism could survive in such thin materials - but this discovery proved that it could of course.

The CGT flakes were produced using exfoliating (the scotch-tape method, the same one used to produce graphene in Manchester in 2004). This discovery can lead to extremely thin spintronic devices.

Researchers from the NIST were granted a patent for a device that combines a spin valve with a memristor (a device that is the basis of next-generation RRAM memory devices). The device can be used to turn on and off a spin channel.

The researchers say that their patented device may be a fundamental building-block in future spintronic devices as it combines the non-volatile memory in memristors with the technology of a spin valve. The intention is simple and can be used in several ways - as an on/off switch for spin currents, as an interconnect between different spintronic components and as an interface between magnetic and electronic features.

Researchers from the Polytechnic University of Milan discovered that germanium features a very strong spin hall effect and spin accumulation over long distances Germanium interfaces easily with silicon which means that it could be a strong candidate for future spintronics devices.

The team fabricated a 100-by-250-micrometer germanium rectangle doped with phosphorous on a silicon surface. Driving a current int he long dimension, the spin hall effect was measured by detecting the accumulated spin density vs position across the short direction (spin-up electrons should accumulate at one edge and spin-down at the opposite edge).

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.

Researchers from Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin managed to develop a robust and reliable magnetization switching process using domain wall displacement - without any applied field. This could lead to highly efficient spintronics memory devices.

A spintronics memory design that uses tiny rings to enable two stable magnetization states - but the switching of the states usually requires a circular magnetic field. The researchers now devised a way to overcome to requirement - by using slightly displaced holes in the rings (which are thus thinner on one side), which means that a short uniaxial magnetic field pulse can switch between the two possible vortex states.