Korean Researchers Propose Development Directions for Spin-Based Next-Generation Semiconductor Technology

Schematic diagrams of spin alignment in ferromagnets, which have been mainly used in spin-based information processing technologies until now, and in antiferromagnets and ferrimagnets, which have recently attracted rapid interest. (b) A schematic showing that ferrimagnets interact with light, electrons, and lattice in various ways, demonstrating their wide range of applications.

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] Domestic researchers have summarized next-generation semiconductor technology based on spin and proposed directions for its development.

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) announced on the 6th that a research team led by Professors Lee Kyung-jin and Kim Se-gwon from the Department of Physics published a review paper titled "Spintronics Based on Compensated Ferrimagnets," which summarizes the latest research trends and future development strategies of spin-based next-generation semiconductor technology (spintronics), as the cover article of the January issue of the international journal in physics and materials, Nature Materials.

A compensated ferrimagnet refers to a material in which magnetic ions aligned in opposite directions like in antiferromagnets have different magnitudes of magnetization, resulting in a net spontaneous magnetization in the entire material.

Spintronics is a research field that aims to solve fundamental problems of existing semiconductor technology, which has reached its growth limits, by utilizing the quantum property of electrons called spin. It is expected to revolutionize existing information processing technology and realize ultra-high-speed, ultra-high-density next-generation semiconductor technology. Since the core component of spintronic devices is a magnetic material, identifying the optimal magnetic material is essential to implement ultra-high-speed, ultra-high-density spin-based information processing.

For decades, ferromagnets, which have been mainly used in spintronics, have had spin dynamics speeds limited to the gigahertz (GHz) range, similar to existing information processing technologies, making it difficult to improve information processing speeds. Additionally, the strong stray magnetic fields generated by ferromagnets cause strong interference between ferromagnet-based devices, posing challenges to increasing the integration density of spin devices.

Through research over recent years, the team revealed that using a new magnetic material, compensated ferrimagnets, can overcome the problems of ferromagnets and enable the development of ultra-high-speed, ultra-high-density spin-based information processing devices. This formed the basis for the publication of the current review paper.

Previously, in 2017, they highlighted that the spin dynamics speed of compensated ferrimagnets is at the terahertz (THz) level, about a thousand times faster than existing information processing technologies, and demonstrated that magnetic domain walls used as spin memory can be driven at speeds far exceeding those in ferromagnets, publishing these findings in Nature Materials. In 2018, Professor Lee reported that using antiferromagnets enables long-distance transmission of spin quantum information, also published in Nature Materials. Due to these steady research achievements over several years, interest in ultra-high-speed, ultra-high-density spintronics based on compensated ferrimagnets has increased, and related research is actively progressing worldwide.

Along with summarizing the latest research trends, the team also proposed future development directions for compensated ferrimagnet-based spintronics. Expected advancements include the development of ultra-high-speed magneto-optical devices based on compensated ferrimagnets, wave and quantum information processing devices utilizing the unique spin wave properties of compensated ferrimagnets, and brain-inspired computing using compensated ferrimagnets. Furthermore, the newly developed compensated ferrimagnets are anticipated to exhibit fundamentally different and interesting physical phenomena compared to existing magnetic materials, leading to proposed directions for fundamental magnetic research based on compensated ferrimagnets.

Professor Lee stated, "This review paper will serve as an important milestone in expanding spintronics research, which has so far focused only on ferromagnets, to compensated ferrimagnets."

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