A new class of topological insulators discovered, may have spintronics applications

Researchers have discovered a new wide class of topological insulators (materials that are insulators in the bulk but conductors at the surface) that have very promising properties. These new TIs may enable tuning both electronic and spin (that is, magnetic) properties by using different compounds and confirms the possibility to grow topological insulators with deep-laying, self-protecting and, thus, technologically relevant conducting states. This may have applications in spintronics and quantum computation.