http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/computers_math/spintronics/ Spintronics. Read the latest research news on spintronics, including exotic properties and breakthroughs that hold promise for next-generation computers. en-us Sat, 26 May 2012 15:05:01 EDT Sat, 26 May 2012 15:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/computers_math/spintronics/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120517193141.htm Researchers have come closer to solving an old challenge of producing graphene quantum dots of controlled shape and size at large densities, which could revolutionize electronics and optoelectronics. Thu, 17 May 2012 19:31:31 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/05/120517193141.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120427163416.htm The most transparent, lightweight and flexible material ever for conducting electricity has just been invented. Called GraphExeter, the material could revolutionize the creation of wearable electronic devices, such as clothing containing computers, phones and MP3 players. Fri, 27 Apr 2012 16:34:34 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120427163416.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120404161943.htm A team of scientists has built a quantum computer in a diamond, the first of its kind to include protection against "decoherence" -- noise that prevents the computer from functioning properly. Wed, 04 Apr 2012 16:19:19 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120404161943.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120403111858.htm Physicists have recently devised a new method for handling the effect of the interplay between vibrations and electrons on electronic transport. This study could have implications for quantum computers due to improvements in the transport of discrete amounts of information, known as qubits, that are encoded in electrons. Tue, 03 Apr 2012 11:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120403111858.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120330111051.htm Graphene could become the next big thing in the quest for smaller, less power-hungry electronics. Physicists are making discoveries that may advance electronic circuit technology. Fri, 30 Mar 2012 11:10:10 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120330111051.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120326160956.htm Researchers have announced breakthroughs in the development of tunneling field effect transistors, a semiconductor technology that takes advantage of the quirky behavior of electrons at the quantum level. Mon, 26 Mar 2012 16:09:09 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120326160956.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120321142903.htm The alphabet of data processing could include more elements than the "0" and "1" in future. Scientists have achieved a new kind of bit with single electrons, called quantum bits, or qubits. With them, considerably more than two states can be defined. So far, quantum bits have only existed in relatively large vacuum chambers. The team has now generated them in semiconductors. They have put an effect in practice, which the physicist Prof. Dr. Andreas Wieck had already theoretically predicted 22 years ago. This represents another step along the path to quantum computing. Wed, 21 Mar 2012 14:29:29 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/03/120321142903.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120226153510.htm Uncertainty affects the accuracy with which measurements can be made in quantum physics. To reduce this uncertainty, physicists have learned to "squeeze" certain measurements. Researchers are now reporting a new type of measurement that can be squeezed to improve precision. Sun, 26 Feb 2012 15:35:35 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120226153510.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120223182644.htm Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) on the nanoscale and the ever-elusive quantum computer are among the advancements edging closer toward the realm of possibility, and a new study may give both an extra nudge. Thu, 23 Feb 2012 18:26:26 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120223182644.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120219143325.htm Many experts think graphene could change the face of electronics -- especially if the scientific community can overcome a major challenge intrinsic to the material. Oxidation could be the answer. Sun, 19 Feb 2012 14:33:33 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120219143325.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202151035.htm Wonder material graphene has been touted as the next silicon, with one major problem -- it is too conductive to be used in computer chips. Now scientists have given its prospects a new lifeline. Scientists have now literally opened a third dimension in graphene research. Their research shows a transistor that may prove the missing link for graphene to become the next silicon. Thu, 02 Feb 2012 15:10:10 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120202151035.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201102826.htm Magnetic random-access memory based on new spin transfer technology achieves higher storage density by packing multiple bits of data into each memory cell. Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:28:28 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120201102826.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120122152546.htm Researchers have combined two fields -- quantum physics and nano physics -- and this has led to the discovery of a new method for laser cooling semiconductor membranes. Semiconductors are vital components in many electronics, and the efficient cooling of components is important for future quantum computers and ultrasensitive sensors. The new cooling method works quite paradoxically by heating the material. Using lasers, researchers cooled membrane fluctuations to minus 269 degrees C. Sun, 22 Jan 2012 15:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120122152546.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120117145236.htm Scientists have achieved a 100-fold increase in the ability to maintain control the spins of electrons in a solid material, a key step in the development of ultrafast quantum computers. Tue, 17 Jan 2012 14:52:52 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120117145236.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120109211557.htm Engineers have discovered that the new material graphene conducts heat about 20 times faster than silicon, making it an option as a semiconductor material that could produce quieter and longer-lasting computers, cellphones and other devices. Mon, 09 Jan 2012 21:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120109211557.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111121142459.htm Researchers have made advances in better understanding correlated quantum matter that could change technology as we know it, according to a new study. Mon, 21 Nov 2011 14:24:24 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111121142459.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111102161257.htm Physicists may have earned silicon carbide –– a semiconductor commonly used by the electronics industry –– a role at the center of a new generation of information technologies designed to exploit quantum physics for tasks such as ultrafast computing and nanoscale sensing. Wed, 02 Nov 2011 16:12:12 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/11/111102161257.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111028081955.htm Electrical engineers in Germany have succeeded in developing a new concept for ultrafast semiconductor lasers. The researchers make clever use of the intrinsic angular momentum of electrons, called spin, to successfully break the previous speed barriers. The new spin lasers have the potential to achieve modulation frequencies of well above 100 GHz in future. This is a decisive step towards high-speed data transmission, e.g. for the Internet of tomorrow. Fri, 28 Oct 2011 08:19:19 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111028081955.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111019164546.htm An advanced material that could help bring about next-generation "spintronic" computers has revealed one of its fundamental secrets to a team of scientists. Wed, 19 Oct 2011 16:45:45 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111019164546.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111018092348.htm Building on earlier work showing how nanowires carved in impurity-laden diamond crystal can efficiently emit individual photons, researchers have developed a scalable manufacturing process to craft arrays of miniature, silver-plated-diamond posts that enable even greater photon control. The development supports efforts to create robust, room-temperature quantum computers by setting the stage for diamond-based microchips. Tue, 18 Oct 2011 09:23:23 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111018092348.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111004123604.htm Physicists have created a tiny "electron superhighway" that could one day be useful for building a quantum computer -- a new type of computer that will use quantum particles in place of the digital transistors found in today's microchips. Researchers now describe how to make a "topological insulator," a much-sought device that could help physicists create elusive pairs of quantum particles that are particularly useful for storing information. Tue, 04 Oct 2011 12:36:36 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111004123604.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110922093724.htm Physicists have succeeded in taking a decisive step towards the development of more powerful computers. They were able to define two little quantum dots (QDs), occupied with electrons, in a semiconductor and to select a single electron from one of them using a sound wave, and then to transport it to the neighboring QD. Thu, 22 Sep 2011 09:37:37 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110922093724.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110906144043.htm Researchers are making progress in creating digital transistors using a material called graphene, potentially sidestepping an obstacle thought to dramatically limit the material's use in computers and consumer electronics. Tue, 06 Sep 2011 14:40:40 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/09/110906144043.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110829114732.htm Is it time for a communications paradigm shift? Scientists calculate that encoding and sending information via electron spin, instead of voltage changes, may mean tiny chips could transmit more information and consume less power. Mon, 29 Aug 2011 11:47:47 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110829114732.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110815113615.htm A new type of integrated circuit may be so energy efficient that it could run simply by harvesting energy from the environment. Mon, 15 Aug 2011 11:36:36 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110815113615.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110812161813.htm The world economy is becoming ever more reliant on high tech electronics such as computers featuring fingernail-sized microprocessors crammed with billions of transistors. For progress to continue, for Moore's Law -- according to which the number of computer components crammed onto microchips doubles every two years, even as the size and cost of components halves -- to continue, new materials and new phenomena need to be discovered. Researchers have now discovered a "kaleidoscope" of phases, which represent the lowest-energy states that are allowed given the magnetic interactions. Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110812161813.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110811141308.htm The Nobel Prize winning scientists Professor Andre Geim and Professor Kostya Novoselov have taken a huge step forward in studying the wonder material graphene and revealing its exciting electronic properties for future electronic applications. Thu, 11 Aug 2011 14:13:13 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/08/110811141308.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110703133846.htm Scientists have taken one step closer to the next generation of computers. New research provides insight into spintronics, which has been hailed as the successor to the transistor. Sun, 03 Jul 2011 13:38:38 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/07/110703133846.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110628132607.htm Researchers have developed a technique for mass-producing defect-free boron nitride nanoribbons (BNNRs) of uniform length and thickness. BNNRs are predicted to display magnetic and electronic properties that hold enormous potential for future devices. Tue, 28 Jun 2011 13:26:26 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110628132607.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110621173527.htm Harnessing the magnetic moment, or spin, of electrons rather than their electric charge, physicists have achieved a breakthrough toward the development of a new breed of computing devices that can process data using less power. Tue, 21 Jun 2011 17:35:35 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110621173527.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110610102625.htm Magnetic studies of ultrathin slabs of copper-oxide materials reveal that at very low temperatures, the thinnest, isolated layers lose their long-range magnetic order and instead behave like a "quantum spin liquid" -- a state of matter where the orientations of electron spins fluctuate wildly. This unexpected discovery may offer support for the idea that this novel condensed state of matter is a precursor to the emergence of high-temperature superconductivity -- the ability to carry current with no resistance. Fri, 10 Jun 2011 10:26:26 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/06/110610102625.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110527162509.htm What causes a magnet to be a magnet, and how can we control a magnet's behavior? These are the questions that researchers have been exploring over many years. Fri, 27 May 2011 16:25:25 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110527162509.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110427101520.htm Magnetics researchers colored lots of eggs recently. Bunnies might find the eggs a bit small, but these "eggcentric" nanomagnets have another practical use, suggesting strategies for making future low-power computer memories. Wed, 27 Apr 2011 10:15:15 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110427101520.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110418135541.htm A single-electron transistor with a central component -- an island only 1.5 nanometers in diameter -- that operates with the addition of only one or two electrons has been developed. The transistor, named SketchSET, provides a building block for new, more powerful computer memories, advanced electronic materials, and the basic components of quantum computers that could solve problems so complex that all of the world's computers working together for billions of years could not crack them. Mon, 18 Apr 2011 13:55:55 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110418135541.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110418114206.htm Graphene is often touted as the latest "wonder material," and may be the electronics industry's next great hope for the creation of extremely fast electronic devices. Researchers have found one of the first roadblocks to utilizing graphene by proving that its conductivity decreases significantly when more than one layer is present. Mon, 18 Apr 2011 11:42:42 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110418114206.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110414141400.htm Scientists have found a way to make wonder material graphene magnetic, opening up a new range of opportunities for the world's thinnest material in the area of spintronics. Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:14:14 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110414141400.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110414091110.htm Researchers have discovered a way to control magnetic properties of graphene that could lead to powerful new applications in magnetic storage and magnetic random access memory. Thu, 14 Apr 2011 09:11:11 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110414091110.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110413120959.htm Researchers have created the first electronic circuit to merge traditional inorganic semiconductors with organic "spintronics" -- devices that utilize the spin of electrons to read, write and manipulate data. Scientists combined an inorganic semiconductor with a unique plastic material currently under development. Wed, 13 Apr 2011 12:09:09 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110413120959.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110405123245.htm Scientists have mapped a state of matter called 'quantum spin liquid', whose existence was proposed in the 1970s but which has only been observed recently. Tue, 05 Apr 2011 12:32:32 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110405123245.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110403141333.htm With the first observation of thermoelectric effects at graphene contacts, researchers have found that graphene transistors have a nanoscale cooling effect that reduces their temperature. Using an AMF tip to measure temperature, they found that thermoelectric cooling effects can be stronger at graphene contacts than resistive heating, so graphene transistors are self-cooling. Sun, 03 Apr 2011 14:13:13 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/04/110403141333.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110321161916.htm A new "templated growth" technique for fabricating nanoribbons of epitaxial graphene has produced structures just 15 to 40 nanometers wide that conduct current with almost no resistance. These structures could address the challenge of connecting graphene devices made with conventional architectures -- and set the stage for a new generation of devices that take advantage of the quantum properties of electrons. Mon, 21 Mar 2011 16:19:19 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110321161916.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110317093347.htm Physicists have succeeded in manipulating atoms individually in a lattice of light and in arranging them in arbitrary patterns. These results are an important step towards large-scale quantum computing and for the simulation of condensed matter systems. Thu, 17 Mar 2011 09:33:33 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110317093347.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110315093041.htm Researchers have built "spintronic" transistors and used them to align the magnetic "spins" of electrons for a record period of time in silicon chips at room temperature. The study is a step toward computers, phones and other spintronic devices that are faster and use less energy than their electronic counterparts. Tue, 15 Mar 2011 09:30:30 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110315093041.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110309141731.htm Tomorrow's nonvolatile memory devices -- computer memory that can retain stored information even when not powered -- will profoundly change electronics, and researchers have discovered a new way of measuring and optimizing their performance. Wed, 09 Mar 2011 14:17:17 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110309141731.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110302131853.htm Physicists have for the first time caused a gas of atoms to exhibit an important quantum phenomenon known as spin-orbit coupling. Their technique opens new possibilities for studying and better understanding fundamental physics and has potential applications to quantum computing, next-generation "spintronics" devices and even "atomtronic" devices built from ultracold atoms. Wed, 02 Mar 2011 13:18:18 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/03/110302131853.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110221081539.htm Further development of modern information technology requires computer capacities of increased efficiency at reasonable costs. In the past, integration density of the relevant electronic components was increased constantly. In continuation of this strategy, future components will have to reach the size of individual molecules. Researchers have now come closer to reaching this target. Mon, 21 Feb 2011 08:15:15 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110221081539.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110214142348.htm Researchers have documented the first observations of some unusual physics when two prominent electric materials are connected: superconductors and graphene. When sandwiched between superconductors, graphene can adopt superconducting capacity because paired electrons from the superconductor are translated to Andreev bound states (ABS) in the graphene. The researchers isolated and manipulated individual ABS by confining them to a graphene quantum dot, which could be used as a qubit for quantum computing. Mon, 14 Feb 2011 14:23:23 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110214142348.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110214142346.htm In recent years, topological insulators have become one of the hottest topics in physics. These new materials act as both insulators and conductors, with their interior preventing the flow of electrical currents while their edges or surfaces allow the movement of a charge. Perhaps most importantly, the surfaces of topological insulators enable the transport of spin-polarized electrons while preventing the "scattering" typically associated with power consumption, in which electrons deviate from their trajectory, resulting in dissipation. Because of such characteristics, these materials hold great potential for use in future transistors, memory devices and magnetic sensors that are highly energy efficient and require less power. Mon, 14 Feb 2011 14:23:23 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/02/110214142346.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110125172416.htm A team of physicists in China has taken a big step toward the development of useful graphene spintronic devices. Tue, 25 Jan 2011 17:24:24 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110125172416.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110122110640.htm Scientists have made a significant step towards an ultrafast quantum computer by successfully generating 10 billion bits of quantum entanglement in silicon for the first time -- entanglement is the key ingredient that promises to make quantum computers far more powerful than conventional computing devices. Sat, 22 Jan 2011 11:06:06 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/01/110122110640.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101223144034.htm Physicists have announced a breakthrough that gives a new spin to semiconductor nanoelectronics and the world of information technology. Thu, 23 Dec 2010 14:40:40 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101223144034.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101223083759.htm Scientists in the Netherlands have succeeded in controlling the building blocks of a future super-fast quantum computer. They are now able to manipulate these building blocks (qubits) with electrical rather than magnetic fields, as has been the common practice up till now. They have also been able to embed these qubits into semiconductor nanowires. Thu, 23 Dec 2010 08:37:37 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101223083759.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101217145653.htm One of the requirements to keep trends in computer technology on track -- to be ever faster, smaller, and more energy-efficient -- is faster writing and processing of data. New results could point the way to a solution. Physicists set a lattice of magnetic vortices in a material in motion using electric current almost a million times weaker than in earlier studies. Fri, 17 Dec 2010 14:56:56 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101217145653.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101216142525.htm Scientists have proposed and experimentally demonstrated a ratchet concept to control the spin motion. In analogy to a ratchet wrench, which provides uniform rotation from oscillatory motion, such ratchets achieve directed spin transport in one direction, in the presence of an oscillating signal. Most important, this signal could be an oscillatory current that results from environmental charge noise; thus future devices based on this concept could function by gathering energy from the environment. Thu, 16 Dec 2010 14:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101216142525.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101216142511.htm Physicists have stored information for 112 seconds in what may become the world's tiniest computer memory: magnetic "spins" in the centers or nuclei of atoms. Then the physicists retrieved and read the data electronically -- a big step toward using the new kind of memory for both faster conventional and superfast "quantum" computers. Thu, 16 Dec 2010 14:25:25 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101216142511.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101208130052.htm Researchers have shown that a magnetically polarized current can be manipulated by electric fields. This important discovery opens up the prospect of simultaneously processing and storing data on electrons held in the molecular structure of computer chips -- combining computer memory and processing power on the same chip. Wed, 08 Dec 2010 13:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/12/101208130052.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101117141432.htm Researchers have demonstrated quantum entanglement for a quantum state stored in four spatially distinct atomic memories. Wed, 17 Nov 2010 14:14:14 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/11/101117141432.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101026111811.htm Researchers have developed a new method for using water to tune the band gap of the nanomaterial graphene, opening the door to new graphene-based transistors and nanoelectronics. By exposing a graphene film to humidity, researchers were able to create a band gap in graphene -- a critical prerequisite to creating graphene transistors. Tue, 26 Oct 2010 11:18:18 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101026111811.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101025090006.htm Scientists have demonstrated the feasibility of optical trapping for ions, which may lead to a new kind of hybrid quantum systems. Mon, 25 Oct 2010 09:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101025090006.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101018151300.htm Theoretical work has provided a key to understanding an unexpected magnetism between two dissimilar materials. The results have special significance for the design of future electronic devices for computations and telecommunications. Mon, 18 Oct 2010 15:13:13 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2010/10/101018151300.htm