Application
- Since its discovery in the 1920s, electron spin has become an integral aspect of quantum mechanics. Electron spin is linked to and elucidates many properties, including magnetism, spin-orbit coupling, and more.
- One significant application of spin is in the realm of spintronics, which harnesses spin as a foundation for computation. In spintronics, it is not the electron charge but rather the electron spin that conveys information. This presents opportunities for a new generation of devices that merge conventional microelectronics with spin-dependent effects arising from the interaction between the carrier’s spin and the material’s magnetic properties. The benefits of these novel devices include nonvolatility, enhanced data processing speed, and reduced electric power consumption.
- Spintronics relies on the spin-polarization of the electronic current, typically associated with inorganic materials due to the high value of spin-orbit coupling required for spin polarization. However, organic materials are appealing as building blocks for spintronics devices due to their biocompatibility, ease of manipulation, and lower cost compared to inorganic counterparts.
- The recently uncovered chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect—spin-polarization of an electron current in chiral organic systems—opens avenues for employing organic components in spintronics. This phenomenon has been primarily observed in bio-inspired materials such as peptide monolayers, proteins, and double-stranded DNA. However, the CISS effect, being inherently quantum mechanical, is constrained by short conduction distances and durations due to quantum decoherence (approximately 70 nm in double-stranded DNA).
Our Innovation
A novel metal-organic system for efficient long-range spin-polarization, as a basis for spintronic-based logical devices. Our system is comprised of a chiral phenylalanine-copper crystal, with spin-polarizing properties resulting from a combination of CISS and intrinsic ferromagnetic properties of the crystal.
Advantages
- Long-range spin-selective conduction: Our metal-organic crystals achieve spin-polarized current across distances of more than 500 nm without a decrease in spin polarization.
- Organic materials: Bio-compatible, easier to work with, and more cost-effective compared to inorganic counterparts.
- Simple fabrication: The crystals are easily made and modified, allowing for potential easy implementation in spintronics devices.
- Six-bit memristor: The combination of CISS and internal ferromagnetism enables the creation of a six-bit memristor device, showcasing the potential for spin-based logic operations.
- Low energy consumption: Spin-based transistors and logic devices based on this technology could lead to reduced power consumption in electronic systems for mobile applications.
Opportunity
We are seeking collaboration with companies in the semiconductor industry and design house, as well as mobile technology companies. These companies may be interested in our novel technology for its potential to enable spin-based logic operations and reduce power consumption in electronic systems for mobile applications. We believe that our metal-organic crystals provide a promising platform for the development of next-generation spintronics devices and we are eager to work with industry partners to further advance this technology.
