Revolutionary spinronics: scientists decrypt chiral molecules!

Revolutionary spinronics: scientists decrypt chiral molecules!

Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Deutschland - Researchers at the Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU) have recently examined the influence of chiral molecules on the spin of electrons. This study revolves around the so-called "chiral induced Spin Selectivity Effect" (CISS), which indicates the unique interaction of electrons with chirals (i.e. not identical) molecules. Electromagnetic properties caused by the spin of electrons are particularly relevant for the development of future storage technologies.

the spin, an intrinsic feature of electrons, is crucial for the storage and processing of information in addition to its negative load. However, the selection of spins, which particularly aims to convert electrons with an upward spin, is a challenge. Previous methods for spins selection were mainly based on the benefit of ferromagnets such as iron. In an innovative approach, the JGU research, chiral molecules managed to achieve spin polarization that works in a similar way as with ferromagnetic materials.

results of the study

The experimental results show a remarkable spin -polarization of around 60 to 70 percent, comparable to the performance of ferromagnetic materials. As part of the study, the scientists used a gold layer that was coated with chiral molecules. While the load current primarily flows through the gold layer, the chiral molecules influence the condition of this metal and enable an efficient conversion of spin-up into load current. In the case of right-wing chiral molecules, this process is carried out more efficiently than with spin-down, while the conversion is more reluctant for left-wing molecules.

In addition, it becomes clear in the research of the CISS that the conversion of spin streams into load streams depends heavily on the chirality of the molecules. The vectorial character of the effect deserves special attention: the helix form of the chiral molecules must correlate with the spin direction. If the spins are turned, the effect disappears completely. This discovery supports the recognized importance of the spin-selectivity effect and shows how crucial chiral molecules can be in spin-off. Recent experimental work has also examined spin filing interactions with ferromagnetic surfaces and emphasized the role of the exchange and the Pauli exclusion principle in this context, such as pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov notes.

context of research

chirale molecules are not only of interest in chemical research, but also for their applications in pharmaceuticals. The CISS is crucial for the development of new technologies that use spin -polarization for special chemical reactions and surface adsorption. Chirale molecules can act as a spin filter, which enables selective transmission of electrons. The CISS can be used potentially in quantum-based devices to exploit the coherent properties of the electron spin, as well as the Nature.com

Overall, the examination of the chiral molecules and their interactions with spins can promote significant progress in spin -off and lead to new forms of data storage and processing, which are not only more efficient, but also more potentially environmentally friendly.