Spintronic devices

We're studying the basic physics of new magnetic materials to help develop new spintronics devices that make computing more powerful and energy efficient.

The science

The natural magnetism of electrons—known as ‘spin’—can make electronic devices that are more sensitive, energy efficient, and powerful than today’s devices.

There are plenty of large global manufacturers who are commercialising spintronics (spin electronics) devices and concepts. In data storage, for example, spintronics technology has allowed the storage capacity of magnetic hard disk drives to grow by a factor of 10,000x in 20 years.

The second generation of spintronic computing devices is now being developed. They do not rely on spinning magnetic discs and a single reader to decipher information. The spinning disc has been replaced by a large array of billions of magnetic memory elements that can be addressed via metal interconnects. These new storage devices have no moving parts and can be scaled down to provide high density storage, with high energy efficiency, in a very small package.

Much of the Institute's understanding of fundamental superconductor physics is relevant to spintronics. We are using this knowledge to contribute to major international spintronics R&D efforts.

Impact and potential

At Paihau—Robinson Research Institute, rather than compete in the manufacture of these tiny devices, we study the basic physics of new magnetic materials and spintronic device concepts. We are assisting with the effort to make the existing technology more effective or efficient, find new applications in sensing, and harvest energy to power electronics to create energy-efficient computing.

Computing technology always advances quickly, and revolutionary new architectures such as superconducting, neuromorphic, and quantum computing will bring enormous benefits to businesses and communities worldwide. The Institute’s excellent spintronics and magnetic materials research provides a direct link to the global research leaders developing the new computing and electronic devices that we will all be using in the future.

The people

Dr Simon Granville is an experimental materials research physicist and a senior scientist at the Robinson Research Institute. His research background in thin film magnetic materials took him to Switzerland and back, and led to his extensive network of active spintronics research partnerships across Asia, Australia, Europe, and North America. He is recognised as a regional authority on magnetic materials and spintronics research, and has an enthusiasm for developing cross-disciplinary R&D projects.