transfer spinning electrons tagged posts

Spin injection and helicity control of surface spin photocurrent in a three dimensional topological insulator. Nature Communications, 2017; 8: 15401 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms15401

A discovery of how to control and transfer spinning electrons paves the way for novel hybrid devices that could outperform existing semiconductor electronics. In a study researchers at Linkoping University in Sweden demonstrate how to combine a commonly used semiconductor with a topological insulator. Just as the Earth spins around its own axis, so does an electron, in a clockwise or counter-clockwise direction. “Spintronics” is the name used to describe technologies that exploit both the spin and the charge of the electron. Current applications are limited, and the technology is mainly used in computer hard drives...