#straintronics

To understand how spintronics and straintronics work, the first thing you have to understand is that electrons have a natural spin, either up or down. Electron spin is a natural and intrinsic property of the particle and in the context of spintronics is used to store data in zeros and ones. By contrast, in traditional computer systems, we encode that information on parts of a hard drive by applying a magnetic field to it using a small voltage.

Amplify’d from www.extremetech.com

Spintronics and straintronics may power future ultra-low-power devices

The processor, integrated graphics, and other embedded components that make up some of the most popular low-power, ultra-light PCs require so little power that their power supplies and batteries are millimeters thick. Imagine if even those power supplies and batteries could be removed, and those computers powered by motion, or by tapping ambient energy from the environment around them. Thanks to spintronics and straintronics, two technologies just beginning to emerge from the chalkboard and into reality, we could be on our way there

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