For the first time ever, researchers prove that atomic vibrations can transfer orbital angular momentum directly to electrons in a non-magnetic material with chiral symmatry, the most streamlined system yet in the exciting new field of ‘orbitronics’

DTU researchers have invented a nanolaser constructed in a semiconductor membrane that causes electrons and light to gather in a small area (blue shadow). By using light instead of electrical signals on microchips, data speed can be increased and energy loss reduced. Illustration: Yi Yu. The invention of a nanolaser is the first step towards future digital communication, where communication on microchips can be based entirely on light particles. Researchers at DTU have develo

The researchers used a laser pulse (blue) to change the polarity of a ferromagnetic state in a special material consisting of twisted atomic layers (red).   (Visualisation: Enrique Sahagún, Scixel / ETH Zurich, University of Basel) Researchers at ETH Zurich and the University of Basel have succeeded in changing the polarity of a special ferromagnet using a laser beam. In the future, this method could be used to create adaptable electronic circuits with light.     In a ferroma

In a new study, an international group of researchers has found that chiral phonons can create orbital current without needing magnetic elements – in part because chiral phonons have their own magnetic moments. Additionally, this effect can be achieved in common crystal materials. The work has potential for the development of less expensive, energy-efficient orbitronic devices for use in a wide array of electronics. All electronic devices are based upon the charge of an elect

Researchers at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Dresden-Rossendorf (HZDR) have uncovered previously unobserved oscillation states – so-called Floquet states – in tiny magnetic vortices. Unlike earlier experiments, which required energy-intensive laser pulses to create such states, the team in Dresden discovered that a subtle excitation with magnetic waves is sufficient. This finding not only raises fundamental questions in basic physics but could also eventually serve as a universal ada

A research team led by Professor Leo Tianshuo Zhao from the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering, University of Hong Kong (HKU), has developed the world’s smallest fully printed infrared photodetectors, which are an innovative room-temperature nano-printing platform that overcomes the limitations of traditional silicon-based technology. Near-infrared (NIR) technology is essential for applications such as autonomous systems, biomedi

MIT researchers have developed a new fabrication method that could enable the production of more energy efficient electronics by stacking multiple functional components on top of one existing circuit. In traditional circuits, logic devices that perform computation, like transistors, and memory devices that store data are built as separate components, forcing data to travel back and forth between them, which wastes energy. This new electronics integration platform allows scien

In collaboration with scientists in Germany, EPFL researchers have demonstrated that the spiral geometry of tiny, twisted magnetic tubes can be leveraged to transmit data based on quasiparticles called magnons, rather than electrons.

Silver-based atomic switches that create stable electrical connections between individual molecules and electrodes have been developed by researchers from Japan, addressing a key challenge in wiring molecular electronics. The switch operates by forming and breaking silver atomic filaments when a voltage is applied and reversed, corresponding to the “on” and “off” states. This method enables the scalable integration of molecular components, paving the way for ultra-compact and

Rice University researchers studying a class of atom-thin semiconductors known as transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have discovered that light can trigger a physical shift in their atomic lattice, creating a tunable way to adjust the materials’ behavior and properties. The effect, observed in a TMD subtype named after the two-faced Roman god of transitions, Janus, could advance technologies that use light instead of electricity, from faster and cooler computer chips to

Engineered polymers hold promise for use in next generation technologies such as light-harvesting devices and implantable electronics that interact with the nervous system – but creating polymers with the right combination of chemical, physical and electronic properties poses a significant challenge. New research offers insights into how polymers can be engineered to fine-tune their electronic properties in order to meet the demands of such specific applications. To make elec

Understanding what happens inside a material when it is hit by ultrashort light pulses is one of the great challenges of matter physics and modern photonics. A new study published in Nature Photonics and led by Politecnico di Milano reveals a hitherto neglected but essential aspect, precisely the contribution of virtual charges, charge carriers that exist only during interaction with light, but which profoundly influence the material’s response. The research, conducted in par