When old is new again: Hall effect associated with electrons also occurs in non-charged particles
Monday, October 4, 2010 - 10:00
in Physics & Chemistry
(PhysOrg.com) -- Just as electronics revolutionized computing and communications technology, spintronics is touted to follow suit. This relatively new field involves manipulating the flow of a magnetism-related property called 'spin'. In magnons, a spintronic counterpart of electrons, Naoto Nagaosa from the RIKEN Advanced Science Institute in Wako, Japan, and his colleagues have observed an effect first seen with electrons over 130 years ago: the Hall effect. The Hall effect is used in sensitive detectors, so the researchers believe their finding could lead to new applications for magnetic insulators.