Spintronics Technology Revolution Could Be Just a Hopfion Away
A decade ago, the discovery of quasiparticles called magnetic skyrmions provided important new clues into how microscopic spin textures will enable spintronics, a new class of electronics that use the orientation of an electron’s spin rather than its charge to encode data.
But although scientists have made big advances in this very young field, they still don’t fully understand how to design spintronics materials that would allow for ultrasmall, ultrafast, low-power devices. Skyrmions may seem promising, but scientists have long treated skyrmions as merely 2D objects. Recent studies, however, have suggested that 2D skyrmions could actually be the genesis of a 3D spin pattern called hopfions. But no one had been able to experimentally prove that magnetic hopfions exist on the nanoscale.
Date Time
Spintronics Technology Revolution Could Be Just a Hopfion Away
Artist’s drawing of characteristic 3D spin texture of a magnetic hopfion. Berkeley Lab scientists have created and observed 3D hopfions. The discovery could advance spintronics memory devices. (Credit: Peter Fischer and Frances Hellman/Berkeley Lab)
Adecade ago, the discovery of quasiparticles called magnetic skyrmions provided important new clues into how microscopic spin textures will enable spintronics, a new class of electronics that use the orientation of an electron’s spin rather than its charge to encode data.
But although scientists have made big advances in this very young field, they still don’t fully understand how to design spintronics materials that would allow for ultrasmall, ultrafast, low-power devices. Skyrmions may seem promising, but scientists have long treated skyrmions as merely 2D objects. Recent studies, however, have suggested that 2D skyrmions could actually be the genesis of
The spintronics technology revolution could be just a hopfion away eurekalert.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from eurekalert.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
E-Mail
IMAGE: Illustration of caged lithium ions in a new polymer membrane for lithium batteries. Scientists at Berkeley Lab s Molecular Foundry used a drug-discovery toolbox to design the selective membranes. The technology. view more
Credit: Artem Baskin/Berkeley Lab
Membranes that allow certain molecules to quickly pass through while blocking others are key enablers for energy technologies from batteries and fuel cells to resource refinement and water purification. For example, membranes in a battery separating the two terminals help to prevent short circuits, while also allowing the transport of charged particles, or ions, needed to maintain the flow of electricity.
Revealing nano big bang -- Scientists observe the first milliseconds of crystal formation eurekalert.org - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from eurekalert.org Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.