Researchers at Ohio State and their colleagues have expanded the possibilities for a new kind of electronics, known as spintronics. Though spintronics technology has yet to be fully developed, it could result in computers that store more data in less space, process data faster, and consume less power. It could even lead to computers that "boot up" instantly, said Arthur J. Epstein, Distinguished University Professor of physics and chemistry and director of the Center for Materials Research.
Spintronics use magnetic fields to control the spin of electrons. Epstein and his colleagues report using a magnetic field to make nearly all the moving electrons inside a sample of plastic spin in the same direction, an effect called spin polarization. Achieving spin polarization is the first step in converting the plastic into a device that could read and write spintronic data inside a working computer. Read about the research at http://www.osu.edu/researchnews/archive/spintron.htm.
