New EU Project Will Pave the Way for Electronics of the Future
Uppsala physicists have been granted EU funding for the project OBELIX. Within the project they will develop a brand-new form of electronic components, where information is transmitted through orbital magnetic currents instead of spin currents or electric currents.
OBELIX has been granted SEK 44 million in the call Pathfinder within the framework programme Horizon Europe from the European Innovation Council. The project aims to develop breakthrough technology for future electronics. Uppsala University has been granted SEK 2.6 million for its share within OBELIX.
“It is very gratifying that our research has been judged to be of the highest quality within Europe. In the assessment we got 100/100 for excellent scientific quality and innovation, which led to that the project was granted,” says Peter Oppeneer, who together with Jan Rusz, both active at the Department of Physics and Astronomy, stands behind the innovative theory within the project.
Within the project, the researchers will use orbital magnetic currents instead of spin currents. The goal is to create orbital magnetic currents in metallic materials by applying electric fields or structured light pulses. The orbital currents are then used to control magnetic moments in nanometre-sized components.
Preliminary studies show that large orbital currents can be created in ordinary light metals. These large orbital currents may lead to a new form of information carrier that may be more effective than spin currents which are already used in spintronic components. This type of new components may be built with cheap green metals instead of the heavy metals used today.
“To use orbital currents means a paradigm shift within information technology and may pave the way for faster and more energy efficient dynamic computer memories in the future,” says Peter Oppeneer.
OBELIX is a collaboration between five universities and one company in Europe and is coordinated by Aurelien Manchon at the research organisation Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, CNRS in France.
The project was granted funds in the prestigious call Pathfinder in the toughest international competition. The European Innovation Council’s objectives support new Pathfinder projects that may lead to radically new technologies. Pathfinder projects are assessed based on the criteria high scientific excellence and potential for development of breakthrough technology. Only 6 % of all applications are granted. OBELIX is the first Pathfinder project at the Department of Physics and Astronomy at Uppsala University.
Read more
Large Orbital Currents Induced in Light Metals
Contact
Peter Oppeneer, e-mail: peter.oppeneer@physics.uu.se
Jan Rusz, e-mail: jan.rusz@physics.uu.se