Home > Press > Heat makes electrons’ spin in magnetic superconductors
Abstract:
Physicists have shown how heat can be exploited for controlling magnetic properties of matter. The finding helps in the development of more efficient mass memories. The result was published yesterday in Physical Review Letters. The international research group behind the breakthrough included Finnish researchers from the University of Jyväskylä and Aalto University.
The ability to control the huge amount of information within the Internet is largely based on the ability to use the magnetic properties of electrons for reading memory devices. The phenomenon is based on the fact that each electron spins in a certain direction. This spin is closely connected with magnetism. Since the 1990s this property has been used for a fast reading of the information in magnetic memories. That is because it was found that the direction of magnetic poles affects the electrical resistivity of magnetic materials.
Lately many research groups have aimed at finding a method for using the electric current also to modify the magnetic information, which would make the data writing process much faster than in today’s magnetic memories. However, the known methods tend to produce too much heat. One of the research directions has been to exploit the heat to convert it to a spin current of the electrons, which would then be used for writing the information.
In the research published yesterday the research group showed how heat is converted to spin current in magnetic superconductors. Many metals turn superconducting a few degrees away from the absolute zero of temperature. As a result, the electrical resistivity of the metal vanishes. Magnetic superconductors can be fabricated by placing a superconducting film on top of a magnetic insulator.
Because superconductivity is present only at low temperatures, this phenomenon cannot be directly used in memory applications.
- Our theory is based on superconductivity, but the vanishing resistance is not very essential in it. Because of that the phenomenon could be generalized to other kinds of materials, and possibly such that it would work also at room temperature, explains Prof. Tero Heikkilä from the University of Jyväskylä.
The now published work was theoretical, but the phenomenon has been already found experimentally.
- Our work explained recent experimental results on the seemingly long lifetime of spin in superconductors. The finding resulted from the conversion of heat into spin, explains Dr Pauli Virtanen from the Aalto University.
####
About Suomen Akatemia (Academy of Finland)
The Academy of Finland’s mission is to fund high-quality scientific research, provide expertise in science and science policy, and strengthen the position of science and research. We are an agency within the administrative branch of the Finnish Ministry of Education, Science and Culture.
We work to contribute to the renewal, diversification and increasing internationalisation of Finnish research. Our activities cover the full spectrum of scientific disciplines.
We support and facilitate researcher training and research careers, internationalisation and the application of research results. We are also keen to emphasise the importance of research impact and breakthrough research. We therefore encourage researchers to submit boundary-crossing applications that involve risks but also offer promise and potential for scientifically significant breakthroughs.
Our funding for research amounts to 310 million euros in 2014. Each year, our funding contributes to some 8,000 people’s work at universities and research institutes in Finland.
For more information, please click here
Contacts:
Leena Vahakyla
+358295335139
Copyright © AlphaGalileo
If you have a comment, please Contact us.Issuers of news releases, not 7th Wave, Inc. or Nanotechnology Now, are solely responsible for the accuracy of the content.
Related Links |
Full bibliographic information
Related News Press |
News and information
Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024
Superconductivity
Optically trapped quantum droplets of light can bind together to form macroscopic complexes March 8th, 2024
'Sudden death' of quantum fluctuations defies current theories of superconductivity: Study challenges the conventional wisdom of superconducting quantum transitions January 12th, 2024
Researchers at Purdue discover superconductive images are actually 3D and disorder-driven fractals May 12th, 2023
Spintronics
Quantum materials: Electron spin measured for the first time June 9th, 2023
Spin photonics to move forward with new anapole probe November 4th, 2022
Memory Technology
Interdisciplinary: Rice team tackles the future of semiconductors Multiferroics could be the key to ultralow-energy computing October 6th, 2023
Researchers discover materials exhibiting huge magnetoresistance June 9th, 2023
Discoveries
What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024
Researchers’ approach may protect quantum computers from attacks March 8th, 2024
High-tech 'paint' could spare patients repeated surgeries March 8th, 2024
Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024
Announcements
What heat can tell us about battery chemistry: using the Peltier effect to study lithium-ion cells March 8th, 2024
Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024
Interviews/Book Reviews/Essays/Reports/Podcasts/Journals/White papers/Posters
Researchers develop artificial building blocks of life March 8th, 2024
Nanoscale CL thermometry with lanthanide-doped heavy-metal oxide in TEM March 8th, 2024
Research partnerships
Researchers’ approach may protect quantum computers from attacks March 8th, 2024
'Sudden death' of quantum fluctuations defies current theories of superconductivity: Study challenges the conventional wisdom of superconducting quantum transitions January 12th, 2024
Development of zinc oxide nanopagoda array photoelectrode: photoelectrochemical water-splitting hydrogen production January 12th, 2024
The latest news from around the world, FREE | ||
Premium Products | ||
Only the news you want to read!
Learn More |
||
Full-service, expert consulting
Learn More |
||