Spin polarization achieved at room temperature, elusive miracles now less elusive
By Darren Murph 
posted November 28th 2009 6:47AM
posted November 28th 2009 6:47AM
Spintronics -- much like Cook-Out milkshakes and cotton candy for all -- seems like a pipe dream at this point. We've been beaten over the head with theoretical miracles, but we're getting to the point where it's put up or shut up. Thankfully, a team of Dutch boffins are clearly in the same camp, and they've been toiling around the clock in order to achieve spin polarization in non-magnetic semiconductors at ambient temperature. The amazing part here is that "temperature" bit; up until this discovery, spin polarization was only possible at levels of around 150 K, or at temperatures far, far cooler than even your unheated basement. If spintronics could effectively be enacted at room temperature, all those unicorn-approved phenomena we mentioned earlier would have a much greater chance of sliding into the realm of reality. Here's hoping they get this stuff ironed out prior to 2012.
Ordinarily, if I hear a phrase like "spintronics", I'm going to tune it out as so much speculation and overhyping. However, the more I look at some of the background research, the more I think that there might be something to it. I doubt the theoretically gains are likely to be anywhere near actual implementation, but even if it's 1/20th of promised gains, we're looking at HDDs that are 5,000 times faster than what we have now.
Now all we need is a pipe big enough to be able to get all that data through.
@OG Phenix
Well with all the stuff going on with the LHC as well, we'll unravel all of the mysteries of the Universe and learn how to control wormholes. We could just throw those into the mix and transport our data through them. Instantaneous!
Achieved?
@Craneguy Yup. Achieved. They're still going to have to do some additional testing, but they did use a layer of ytterbium in a control test (this is known to stop electrons spin). Still, it's going to be years before we see an effect fom this.
@OG Phenix
Thanks for the info, but I was correcting the typo in the title!
Who's first to trademark 'Spin™'?
@MaczekWolniek
Bill O'Reilly?
Why does Engadget not upload my profile picture. I have tried so many times with different size pics and hoped that it would work with the new website, but not. It says it was uploaded successfully and will be visible in 5 munutes, but nothing happens.
Anyone got a solution?
@Wesley moar spin needed
@Wesley: good question... I'm just trying to figure out why I'm always "unverified" even though I've had a registered and named account (verified) with Engadget for a long time. I've commented on many of the other Weblogs, Inc. sites as well, especially Autoblog. Doesn't seem to be anyway to "verify" it that I can see.
@Wesley They used to have a problem with uploading pics from every browser other than Firefox. I don't know if that is still the case or not.
@(Unverified) Try logging out, then logging in again.
@MSM
ha! Thank you; that solved the problem.
@Wesley
i had the same problem a while ago. what i did was make that picture REALLY small where it was something like 60x60 pixels or something and uploaded it and it kept. it took some ridicules amount of time to figure out the right size. you might want to search for a post a while back, look for like profile setup or something.
Looks like we'll be running MRAM very soon with getting the spin on with SPINtronics. Now I understand why there are magnets in hard drives!!! aaah Engadget, if it wasn't for you, I would have had brain reflux.
Get a staw and suck it up?
oh engadget. no matter how many times I try, I can't help but love the arbitrary nature of your comments sections errors. Who knows who or what I was responding to. Apparently, only me.
COOK-OUT ROCKS! NORTH CAROLINAAAAA! TAKE YOUR SHIRT OFF! TWIST IT UP - RAISE IT AROUND YOUR HEAD - SPIN IT LIKE A HELICOPTER!
@Reisa
Oh Man, please shut up. You're embarrassing us.
Oh man cook-out. Someone's from North Carolina and I'm guessing from NCSU. Nothing beats cook-out at one in the morning.
@Steve Ballmer
Everyone is trying to build off the success of the iPhone with this spintronics junk, but none of it will ever be as great as the iPhone cause they did it first!
You spin me right round baby, right round, like a record baby...
so im posting just to get to my own profile...sad
can someone explain what the hell this means?
@(Unverified)
I'm with you. I'm clueless as to what this all means.
@(Unverified)
Well, I'm not entirely sure, but I think this means that they've achieved spin polarization in non-magnetic semiconductors at an ambient temperature.
@(Unverified)
Well, I'm just guessing here, but I think this means that they've achieved spin polarization in non-magnetic semiconductors at an ambient temperature.
@o29
Thanks Engadget. You ruined my sarcasm, and now I'm the one who looks stupid. :/
@(Unverified)
http://lmgtfy.com/?q=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dspin%2Bpolarization
@(Unverified) It's a step on the way to Quantum Computing.
Ugh, I fail. Basically, just google "spin polarization."
@Steve Ballmer
I will neither confirm nor deny.
They need to make it work at boiling temperature for CPU/GPU's, and other workhorses, not \ambient room'.
Can we stop with the 2012 thing already?
@(Unverified) nope. let's hope spin polarization protects against solar flares.
spintronics have been achieved in room temperature before, but not in semiconductors.... but the only good thing that comes from this, if anything, is that the Kane architecture quantum computer now has a chance.
However, MRAM like someone mentioned above has been around at room temperature, well above it and well below it, for sometime now, and the only reason their not commercially available for the average home consumer is cause their still too expensive for that.
This achievement is a big deal in academics, but in real world application, there's yet to be any implementation, so don't get overly excited about this just yet.
mmmmm.... cookout.
Now what's this about spinning and miracles?
@Steve Jobs
You too are a waste of oxigen.
@Johanu
I think I've just messed up.