An electron's spin---Part I

Recent advances in nanotechnology have made it possible to manipulate the quantum mechanical spin of a single electron trapped in a tiny semiconductor nanostructure called a quantum dot. Experimental techniques for orienting and measuring a single electron's spin have also been demonstrated. These advances raise hopes for a brand new digital electronics technology predicated on the use of the spin degree of freedom of an electron, in lieu of the charge degree of freedom, to store, process, and transmit digital information. This new brand of electronics, that we have termed "single spintronics," is capable of extremely energy efficient computing and signal processing. Part I of this work describes classical single spintronics, where a single electron's spin is utilized for classical computing. Part II (to be published in the July/August 2009 issue) will provide an introduction to the use of single spintronics for quantum computation.