Spintronics research attracts $754,000 grant

A team of researchers, from the University of Surrey in England and two other institutions, has been awarded a grant of around $754,000 to develop ultra-small-scale silicon structures for ‘spintronic’ semiconductors.

Jointly awarded by the British Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council and the National Science Foundation of China, the work could eventually lead to cheaper and more sophisticated processing technologies for use in computer technology.

Called ‘silicon-based nanospintronics’, the grant brings together experts from the London Centre for Nanotechnology at University College London, the Institute of Microelectronics at Peking University and the University of Surrey’s Advanced Technology Institute.

The Institute for Plasma Physics in Utrecht, the Netherlands, with which the University of Surrey has long-tanding links, is an additional, but informal, partner for the project.

The proposal exploits the combination of Chinese expertise in silicon fabrication nanotechnology and British expertise in observing and controlling the way electrons spin within semiconductors.

It will last for about three years and will involve several student exchanges between the University of Surrey and Peking University.

Prof Benedict N Murdin, associate dean of the University of Surrey’s Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences and Photonics Group Leader at the Advanced Technology Institute, said:

“This is an important development in a key emerging area of research. The grant is also an example of our pursuit of pioneering research combined with real potential benefits for industry and technology consumers.”

The spin of electrons is a fundamental quantum mechanical phenomenon which causes them to behave like small magnets. In normal electronic devices the spin is not relevant, because their operation occurs simply by the effect of electric fields on the electron charge.

However, the increased energy dissipation and performance variability associated with smaller devices is spurring a search for ‘spintronic’ methods and devices, where information is carried by the spin itself.

While silicon has not been the material of choice for ‘spintronic’ research to date, exploration of silicon-based platforms in the area is important, due to the potential for exploiting what is an extremely high purity material and the far cheaper and more sophisticated processing technologies available for this type of semiconductor.

Silicon has not been highly studied for ‘spintronic’ purpose to date because of its very weak magnetic properties. This makes it difficult for researchers to manipulate the spins from clockwise to anticlockwise and vice versa.

The nanospintronics team has proposed a new way of manipulating electron spins with laser beams and the research program has the aim of building a prototype device for this.