Spintronics at room temperature?
1 min read
Researchers are claiming that they have developed spintronic electrons in silicon that work at room temperature. This has not previously been possible and opens the door to computers that require far less power.
Previously, lab demonstrations showed that while it is possible to create bunches of electrons with their spins aligned and to detect the spins in a range of materials, they have all been at extremely low temperatures.
Now researchers at the University of Twente in the Netherlands have demonstrated the manipulation and detection of spin polarised electrons in silicon at a temperature 150°C warmer than than the previous record.
According to Dr Ron Jansen, who has been leading the research, this was achieved through careful design of the interface where the electrons enter the silicon. The material, he says, must be pure and of a precisely determined thickness in order to preserve the delicate spin polarisation.
By creating spintronic devices that work at room temperature, the researchers have one eye on commercialisation of the technology. Dr Jansen now intends to build real electronic circuits to prove that they are better than the electronic circuits currently available.
