A recent study conducted by Professor of Chemistry David Waldeck and Dietrich School Research Associate Brian Bloom has opened up new possibilities in the field of spintronics. The goal of spintronics is to create devices that utilize the spin of electrons rather than their charge, as it takes more energy to move the charge, leading to devices getting hotter over time.
Through their research, the team was able to move spin current through two cobalt oxide thin films, which have a unique “handedness” making them different from their mirror image. They found that spin only passes through the material in specific orientations. The results of their work were published in the journal Science Advances on May 3, along with colleagues from North Carolina State University.
The potential for creating gateways in materials that allow spin to pass through in only one direction has been brought to light by these findings. This property could have important implications for new approaches to data storage, communication, and computing. The research has paved the way for innovative applications in the field of spintronics.