LUMS Hosts Insightful Session on Spin Electronics
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Professor Sarah Thompson, Associate Pro Vice Chancellor for Research at the University of York, delivered an engaging session 'Electronics in a Spin?' hosted by the Syed Babar Ali School of Science and Engineering (SBASSE). In this insightful lecture, she explored the physics of Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR) and its transformative applications in spin electronics.
The discovery of GMR in the 1980s revolutionised technology by harnessing the power of electron spin interactions with magnetic materials. Professor Thompson emphasised the crucial role electrons play in this research, stating, “For me, the most important fundamental particle is the electron. It is far more useful than any of the other fundamental particles.” This breakthrough, which earned a Nobel Prize in 2007, laid the foundation for advances in spin electronics, now widely used in fields such as topological insulators and data storage.
Given the insatiable demand for data, particularly in AI, Professor Thompson highlighted the growing need to make bits smaller and smaller in order to store vast amounts of information. “The focus now is on improving magnetic media to shrink those bits, enabling us to keep up with the ever-expanding data requirements of communication and AI,” she said.
As the demand for data continues to grow, innovations in this field will be key to overcoming the challenges ahead. As she aptly put it, “The key to happiness is spin electronics!” The ongoing evolution of this technology is not only transforming industries but also setting the stage for breakthroughs that will redefine how we interact with and store information in the years to come.
