Simple copper becomes an efficient spintronic component thanks to molecular film

Physicists have created a manufacturing technique for spintronic devices. These high-performance, low-power devices have a promising future. They are therefore very sought after for their manufacture. The new manufacturing process uses organic molecules that are relatively easy to configure for many applications. Layers of molecules could be painted or printed on metals to create new electronic functions.

Spintronic devices can one day replace the current electronic devices. While electronic devices depend on a flow of charge in the form of electrons in motion, the spintronic devices exploit a different electron property called spin. This is related to the angular momentum of the electron, and the spin flow is called a spin current.

The realization of useful spintronic devices presents several challenges. Among these induce a spin current, then impregnate the spintronic components with useful functions such as the ability to retain data for use as high speed memory. Research associate Hironari Isshiki and his team at the Institute of Solid Physics at the University of Tokyo have found an innovative and elegant way to tackle these two complex challenges.

"We have successfully demonstrated efficient conversion of spin current into charge current in a copper sample through a single coat of" paint. "This layer has only one molecule thickness and includes a organic substance, "said Isshiki. "The conversion efficiency of the device is comparable to that of devices made with inorganic metal materials such as platinum or bismuth. However, compared to inorganic materials, organic materials are much easier to manipulate to produce different features. "

This organic layer is composed of a substance called lead phthalocyanine (II). A spin current injected into the surface covered by the molecule is efficiently converted to a well-known charge stream. The researchers experimented with layers of different thicknesses to determine which one would be the most effective. When the layer was thick with a single molecule, the molecules aligned in an ordered arrangement that produced the most efficient spin-to-charge current conversion.

"Organic molecules in particular offer spintronic researchers a high degree of design freedom because they are relatively easy to use.The types of functional components that we hope to see are elements that could be useful in the field of. High performance computing power devices, "Isshiki explained. "The incredibly thin layers required also mean that we could one day create flexible peripherals or even peripherals that you could create with a special type of printer."

For Isshiki and his colleagues, the next step is to explore other organic layer configurations on conductive materials to achieve new spin features. They also want to study the conversion of the load into spin current, a process that is the opposite of that observed in this demonstration. This field of research aims to considerably accelerate the study of spintronics with organic molecules.