Professor Jing Shi and colleagues have used an organic semiconductor – instead of a conventional semiconductor such as silicon – to make switch-like “spin valves” that can control the flow of electrical current. The researchers were able to change the flow of electricity through the valves by 40 percent. This advance in a field known as “spintronics” is an early step toward a new generation of miniature electronic devices such as computer memory chips, light-emitting diodes for displays and sensors to detect radiation, air pollutants, light and magnetic fields.
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