Researchers from the University of Osaka have developed a new class of chiral semiconducting polymers that can generate highly spin-polarized electrical currents. The team's unique molecular design allows the polymers to self-assemble into helical structures that efficiently filter electron spins, offering a promising platform for future spintronic devices and clean-energy technologies.
From corkscrewed vines to spiraling seashells, twists are some of nature's most beautiful designs. These forms exemplify a property known as chirality, in which an object possesses distinct left- and right-handed forms.
The spin-polarized currents generated by preferential transmission of electrons with a particular spin orientation have many useful physical properties, but finding the right materials to generate spin-polarized currents has presented a challenge.
Now, researchers are harnessing chirality at the molecular scale to create advanced materials that control the movement of electrons, paving the way for future energy-efficient technologies.
Twists that steer electron spin
