In a recent breakthrough, researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, have discovered that an atom-thin insulator called hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN) can transport spins with high efficiency. This finding could pave the way for new spintronic devices that are faster and more energy-efficient than current technologies.
Previous studies have shown that h-BN is an excellent conductor of heat, but its ability to transport spins was not known. The Berkeley researchers used a technique called spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy to measure the spin transport properties of h-BN. They found that h-BN can transport spins with an efficiency of nearly 100%, which is significantly higher than other materials that have been studied for spin transport.
The researchers believe that the high spin transport efficiency of h-BN is due to its unique electronic structure. h-BN is a layered material, and the layers are held together by weak van der Waals forces. This allows the layers to slide past each other, which reduces the number of defects that can impede spin transport.
The discovery that h-BN can transport spins with high efficiency could have a major impact on the development of spintronics devices. Spintronics devices are predicted to be faster, more energy-efficient, and more reliable than traditional electronic devices. They could be used for a variety of applications, including high-speed computing, data storage, and energy harvesting.
The research team at the University of California, Berkeley, is continuing to study the spin transport properties of h-BN and other materials. They hope to develop new materials that can transport spins even more efficiently, which would open up new possibilities for spintronics devices.
