Spintronics

Researchers from Tohoku University, the National Institutes for Quantum Science and Technology (QST), and Cambridge University have managed to create a monolayer tin sulfide (SnS) material, which could be suitable for spin-valleytronics applications.

 The researchers explain that SnS is special because it can conduct electricity and respond to light in unique ways. But io far it has been challenging to selectively form SnS from base tin (Sn) and sulfur (S) - sometimes other materials are produced instead, such as SnS2 instead. Now the researchers developed an easier and safer process that can reliably produce entire sheets of SnS.

The International Institute of Physics in Brazil recently uploaded this interesting talk by Stephan Roche from the ICREA and CINN who discusses valleytronics in 2D materials (such as graphene):

This talk was given as part of the IIP's 2D Materials: From Fundamentals to Spintronics workshop which took place in early October.

The US National Science Foundation (NSF) has allocated $20-25 million for a new six year program called "Enabling Quantum Leap: Convergent Accelerated Discovery Foundries for Quantum Materials Science, Engineering, and Information" (Q-AMASE-i).

Q-AMASE-i encompasses many clases of materials, includings ones that explore the paradigms or spintronics, hybrid 2D materials - and Valleytronics.

Researchers from the RAS in Russia and RIKEN in Japan have proved the existence of a new class of materials, spin-valley half-metals. This discovery could lead to devices that enable both valleytronics and spintronics.

In "regular" half-metals, all the electrons that participate in electric currents have the same spin - and so the current is always spin-polarized. These materials have interesting applications for spintronics devices. In the new class of materials now proven theoretically to be possible, there are two valleys present - one providing electrons, one providing holes.