Cambridge researchers use laser light to control and detec spin current

Researchers from the Hitachi Cambridge Laboratory in the University of Cambridge developed a new technology that enables the control (and detection) of spin current. The idea is to use laser light to sustain the spin signal during transit and to manipulate it by applying a voltage. The detection is done electrically.

The team admits that for high-volume information processing this will not really be practical, but this method proves the spin-transistor principle and it be lay the ground work for next-generation devices.