Spintronic Materials and Quantum Phenomena

Spintronics harnesses the intrinsic angular momentum of electrons as carriers of information, promising devices that exceed conventional electronics in speed, energy efficiency and integration density. Central to this field are materials exhibiting strong spin polarisation, robust magnetic ordering and controllable quantum effects. Half-metallic compounds, in which one spin channel is metallic while the opposite spin channel remains insulating, provide fully spin-polarised currents. Spin-gapless semiconductors extend this paradigm by supporting massless spin-carriers in one channel alongside a finite energy gap in the opposite channel, enabling dissipationless transport. Bipolar magnetic semiconductors offer further versatility by presenting opposite spin polarisations at valence and conduction band edges, allowing electric-field control of spin currents. Low-dimensional systems have revealed Dirac and Weyl fermions in two-dimensional ferromagnets and topological insulators, where spin–orbit coupling underpins robust surface states and the quantum anomalous Hall effect. The interplay of magnetism and topology has opened avenues towards quantum computing elements and ultralow-power memory. Achieving these goals relies on advanced materials design, first-principles simulations and high-throughput screening to engineer quantum phenomena at or above ambient conditions. This collective endeavour spans synthesis, characterisation and device integration, with far-reaching implications for data storage, spin-based logic and quantum technologies.

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Spintronic Materials and Quantum Phenomena publication trend

The graph below shows the total number of articles in spintronic materials and quantum phenomena across all publications each year (not limited to Nature Index journals).

Technical terms

Spintronics: Utilisation of the electron spin, in addition to its charge, to encode and process information, enabling devices with enhanced speed and reduced energy dissipation.

Spin polarisation: Degree to which electron spins are aligned in a single direction within a material, crucial for generating spin currents.

Half-metallicity: Electronic state in which one spin channel exhibits metallic conductivity while the opposite spin channel is insulating, yielding fully spin-polarised currents.

Spin-gapless semiconductor: Material where one spin channel has zero band gap, allowing massless spin carriers, while the other channel has a finite gap, enabling dissipationless transport.

Bipolar magnetic semiconductor: Semiconductor exhibiting opposite spin polarisation at the valence and conduction band edges, facilitating electric-field control of spin orientation.

Dirac fermion: Quasiparticle characterised by a linear energy–momentum relation analogous to relativistic particles, often associated with high carrier mobility and topological properties.

References

1. Nonvolatile electrical control of spin polarization in the 2D bipolar magnetic semiconductor VSeF. npj Computational Materials (2023).
2. Genuine Dirac Half‐Metals in Two‐Dimensions. Advanced Science (2023).
3. High-Throughput Computational Screening for Bipolar Magnetic Semiconductors. Research (2022).