Electrical signals transmitted via spin waves

[Ichingcarpenter]

Physicists in Japan have for the first time been able to transmit an electrical signal over a distance of one millimetre through an insulator using spin waves. The technique, which involves converting an electrical current into a spin signal and then back again, could be used in "spintronic" devices that exploit both the spin and charge of the electron. Such devices are of great interest because they could be smaller and more energy efficient than conventional electronic circuits.

One problem hindering the progress of spintronics is that it is hard to transfer currents of spin-polarized electrons over distances greater than a micrometre in conductors like copper. The advantage of spin waves – collective oscillations of stationary spins in a magnetic insulator – is that they can travel millimetres or even centimetres in some materials with very little loss.>>>>>snip

Although the existing device does not input a spin current from an external source – nor does it output a spin current – Saitoh told physicsworld.com that the principle could be used to create devices that do both. This could be exploited to create sources of spin current, or to transfer spin current over large distances.
Saitoh also believes that the device could be used to create "spin wiring" that could someday replace conventional wires in integrated circuits. And because the spin-waves oscillate at gigahertz frequencies, the device could be adapted as a source of microwaves.


The team is now trying to optimize their design by trying different combinations of materials.




A spin wave can transfer spin through an insulator (Courtesy: Nature).


Image Reminds me of DNA in someways. I think this is a major breakthrough


http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/news/41964

Spin wave
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Spin waves are propagating disturbances in the ordering of magnetic materials. These low-lying collective excitations occur in magnetic lattices with continuous symmetry. From the equivalent quasiparticle point of view, spin waves are known as magnons, which are boson modes of the spin lattice that correspond roughly to the phonon excitations of the nuclear lattice. As temperature is increased, the thermal excitation of spin waves reduces a ferromagnet's spontaneous magnetization. The energies of spin waves are typically only μeV in keeping with typical Curie points at room temperature and below. The discussion of spin waves in antiferromagnets is presently beyond the scope of this article.

Practical significance

When magnetoelectronic devices are operated at high frequencies, the generation of spin waves can be an important energy loss mechanism. Spin wave generation limits the linewidths and therefore the quality factors Q of ferrites components used in microwave devices. The reciprocal of the lowest frequency of the characteristic spin waves of a magnetic material gives a time scale for the switching of a device based on that material.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spin_wave

[nebenaube]

1. here come the blaster burns.... n/t

[Ichingcarpenter]

2. Electron spin phaser?

I think the Vulcans already have that...LoL