Spintronic Materials Show Their First Move

PhysOrg, 23 Mar 2005 How much energy does it take for an electron to hop from atom to atom, and how do the magnetic properties of the material influence the rate or ease of hopping? Answers to those questions could help explain why some materials, like those used in a computer hard drive, become conductors only in a magnetic field while they are very strong insulators otherwise. They might also help scientists learn how to use the electron’s "spin", as well as its charge, to carry information in a new field known as spintronics. Read the article