Spin-orbit sum rule to speed up X-ray scattering research
Wednesday, February 15, 2012 - 06:00
in Physics & Chemistry
A new theory developed by Prof Gerrit van der Laan, from the Science & Technology Facilities Council (STFC) and Diamond Light Source, and published this week in the journal Physical Review Letters, provides a powerful sum rule that scientists can use to explore the properties of novel materials, such as those used for spintronics devices. Such materials require constant refinement of their physical qualities in order to keep up with the rapid advancement in a wide range of technologies, from read heads of hard drives (metal-based) to superior transistors (semiconductor-based).