Fresh Spin on Logic

A new type of memory has begun to penetrate the market for nonvolatile data storage. The devices exploit a fundamental yet abstract and elusive property of electrons called spin. An electron´s spin is proportional to its magnetic momentum, and so when spin-polarized electrical currents flow through different types of magnetized metal, resistance changes can be exploited to store information. A more interesting would be a microprocessor using spin. This paper describes the work of a team from MIT whose goal is to incorporate spin technology into processors. This was done by developing a magnetic material that can transmit spin currents without being chilled