Magnetic spin waves brought under control to enable nanocircuits

But the more tightly electronic circuits are packed together, the more heat they produce, making them more likely to fail.

Now an alternative to using electronic charge carriers for information processing is being developed, in the form of magnetic spin waves. These are faster than electronic charge carriers, and use less power.

In a paper published in Nature Nanotechnology, researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf and TU Dresden in Germany describe a simple method they have developed for controlling these spin waves, making them suitable for use in nanocircuits.

As electrons revolve around their own axis – or spin – they behave like tiny magnets. Altering the direction of one spin will therefore impact those neighbouring it. In this way a spin wave can be created that travels through a solid body.

This wave can be used to transport and process information in the same way as charge carriers, according to lead researcher Dr Helmut Schultheiß from the HZDR's Institute of Ion Beam Physics and Materials Research.