Controlling Electron Spin to Realise a Greener Future

Abstract

The Information and Communication Technology (ICT) sector is consuming an ever-increasing amount of electricity. Most electronic devices are composed of billions of transistors, which are made of materials called semiconductors. Semiconducting devices can be engineered to hold properties that suit the device’s function. One relatively unexplored property is electron spin, which, if it can be controlled, may be manipulated to increase the efficiency of semiconducting devices, particularly regarding data transfer and storage. I want to examine whether spin polarisation (the degree to which the spin of electrons aligns with a given direction) can be controlled. This is achieved by understanding the electron-scattering processes by which electrons change their spin polarisation in time. The ultimate potential impact of this research is leaner, greener telecommunications and computing.

“The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking.” — Albert Einstein