Phys.org November 10, 2022 Researchers at Caltech have developed a new theory and numerical calculations to predict spin decoherence in materials with high accuracy. They adapted a theory of electrical transport to study spin and discovered that this method can capture two main mechanisms governing spin decoherence in materials—spin scattering off atomic vibrations, and spin precession modified by atomic vibrations. They could predict spin decoherence times with an accuracy of a few percent of the measured values—down to a billionth of a second—and access microscopic details of spin motion beyond the reach of experiments. Their research tools—computers and quantum mechanics—can […]
Tag Archives: Electron spin
When light and electrons spin together
Phys.org July 12, 2022 An international team of researchers (Germany, Spain, USA – research organization) has demonstrated how the coupling between intense lasers, the motion of electrons, and their spin influences the emission of light on the ultrafast timescale. They demonstrated how changes in the electron velocity can affect the electron dynamics in Na3Bi and that this effect can sometimes be detrimental to the generation of high-order harmonics. While this material is non-magnetic, the team has shown that the spin of the electrons is important for the dynamics, as it couples to the potential felt by the electrons, which is […]
‘Rock-breathing’ bacteria are electron spin doctors, study shows
Phys.org March 6, 2020 An international team of researchers (Israel, USA – University of Southern California) found that unlike most organisms whcih can use oxygen as the electron acceptor these bacteria transfer the electrons to a solid mineral or electrodes that are outside the cell. In terms of metabolism, they “breathe” the minerals or electrodes. To reach the external surface the electrons are shuttled through various protein molecules that form electrical conduits. These proteins have magnetic fields that can favor a particular spin as the electrons shuttle through. The magnetic fields are affected by chirality. The study has implications for […]