Spinmechatronics is

neologism A neologism Greek νέο- ''néo''(="new") and λόγος /''lógos'' meaning "speech, utterance"] is a relatively recent or isolated term, word, or phrase that may be in the process of entering common use, but that has not been fully accepted int ...

referring to an emerging field of research concerned with the exploitation of Spin (physics), spin-dependent phenomena and established

spintronic Spintronics (a portmanteau meaning spin transport electronics), also known as spin electronics, is the study of the intrinsic spin of the electron and its associated magnetic moment, in addition to its fundamental electronic charge, in solid-sta ...

methodologies and technologies in conjunction with electro-mechanical, magno-mechanical, acousto-mechanical and opto-mechanical systems. Most especially, spinmechatronics (or spin mechatronics) concerns the integration of

micro- ''Micro'' (Greek letter μ ( U+03BC) or the legacy symbol µ (U+00B5)) is a unit prefix in the metric system denoting a factor of 10−6 (one millionth). Confirmed in 1960, the prefix comes from the Greek ('), meaning "small". The symbol for t ...

and

nano- Nano (symbol n) is a unit prefix meaning "one billionth". Used primarily with the metric system, this prefix denotes a factor of 10−9 or . It is frequently encountered in science and electronics for prefixing units of time and length. ;Examp ...

mechatronic Mechatronics engineering also called mechatronics, is an interdisciplinary branch of engineering that focuses on the integration of mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering systems, and also includes a combination of robotics, electronics, ...

systems with Spin (physics), spin physics and

spintronics Spintronics (a portmanteau meaning spin transport electronics), also known as spin electronics, is the study of the intrinsic spin of the electron and its associated magnetic moment, in addition to its fundamental electronic charge, in solid-sta ...

History and origins

While spinmechatronics has been recognised only recently (2008) as an independent field, hybrid Spin (physics), spin-mechanical system development dates back to the early nineteen-nineties, with devices combining

and

micromechanics Micromechanics (or, more precisely, micromechanics of materials) is the analysis of composite or heterogeneous materials on the level of the individual constituents that constitute these materials. Aims of micromechanics of materials Heterogene ...

emerging at the turn of the twenty-first century. One of the longest established spinmechatronic systems is the

Magnetic Resonance Force Microscope Magnetic resonance force microscopy (MRFM) is an imaging technique that acquires magnetic resonance images ( MRI) at nanometer scales, and possibly at atomic scales in the future. MRFM is potentially able to observe protein structures which cannot ...

or MRFM. First proposed by J. A. Sidles in a seminal paper of 1991 – and since extensively developed both theoretically and experimentally by a number of international research groups – the MRFM operates by coupling a magnetically loaded

mechanical cantilever to an excited nuclear, proton or

electron The electron (, or in nuclear reactions) is a subatomic particle with a negative one elementary electric charge. Electrons belong to the first generation of the lepton particle family, and are generally thought to be elementary partic ...

Spin (physics), spin system. The MRFM concept effectively combines scanning atomic force microscopy ( AFM) with

magnetic resonance Magnetic resonance is a process by which a physical excitation ( resonance) is set up via magnetism. This process was used to develop magnetic resonance imaging and Nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy technology. It is also being used to ...

spectroscopy Spectroscopy is the field of study that measures and interprets the electromagnetic spectra that result from the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and matter as a function of the wavelength or frequency of the radiation. Matter ...

to provide a spectroscopic tool of unparalleled sensitivity.

Nanometre 330px, Different lengths as in respect to the Molecule">molecular scale. The nanometre (international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: nm) or nanometer ( American spelling) is a unit of length ...

resolution is possible, and the technique potentially forms the basis for ultra-high sensitivity, ultra-high resolution magnetic, biochemical, biomedical, and clinical diagnostics. The synergy of micromechanics and established

technologies for sensing applications is one of the most significant spinmechatronic developments of the last decade. At the beginning of this century,

strain Strain may refer to: Science and technology * Strain (biology), variants of plants, viruses or bacteria; or an inbred animal used for experimental purposes * Strain (chemistry), a chemical stress of a molecule * Strain (injury), an injury to a mu ...

sensors incorporating

magnetoresistive Magnetoresistance is the tendency of a material (often ferromagnetic) to change the value of its electrical resistance in an externally-applied magnetic field. There are a variety of effects that can be called magnetoresistance. Some occur in bu ...

technologies emerged and a wide range of devices exploiting similar principles are likely to realize research and commercial potential by 2015. Contemporary innovation in spinmechatronics drives forward the independent advancement of cutting-edge science in spin physics,

and

mechatronics Mechatronics engineering also called mechatronics, is an interdisciplinary branch of engineering that focuses on the integration of mechanical, electrical and electronic engineering systems, and also includes a combination of robotics, electronics, ...

and catalyses the development of wholly new instrumentation, control and fabrication techniques to facilitate and exploit their integration.

Key constitutive technologies

Micro- and nano- mechatronics

MEMS Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), also written as micro-electro-mechanical systems (or microelectronic and microelectromechanical systems) and the related micromechatronics and microsystems constitute the technology of microscopic devices, ...

electromechanical In engineering, electromechanics combines processes and procedures drawn from electrical engineering and mechanical engineering. Electromechanics focuses on the interaction of electrical and mechanical systems as a whole and how the two system ...

systems are the key ingredient of

. Micro-electromechanical systems are – as the name suggests – devices with significant dimensions in the micrometre regime or less. Highly suited to integration with electronic and microwave circuitry, they provide the key to electro-mechanical functionalities unachievable with

classical Classical may refer to: European antiquity *Classical antiquity, a period of history from roughly the 7th or 8th century B.C.E. to the 5th century C.E. centered on the Mediterranean Sea *Classical architecture, architecture derived from Greek and ...

precision

. Commercialisation of mass-produced

Microelectromechanical systems Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), also written as micro-electro-mechanical systems (or microelectronic and microelectromechanical systems) and the related micromechatronics and microsystems constitute the technology of microscopic devices, ...

products is rapidly picking up pace and includes printer ink-jet technology, 3D

accelerometer An accelerometer is a tool that measures proper acceleration. Proper acceleration is the acceleration (the rate of change of velocity) of a body in its own instantaneous rest frame; this is different from coordinate acceleration, which is acce ...

s, integrated pressure sensors, and

Digital Light Processing Digital Light Processing (DLP) is a set of chipsets based on optical micro-electro-mechanical technology that uses a digital micromirror device. It was originally developed in 1987 by Larry Hornbeck of Texas Instruments. While the DLP imaging ...

(DLP) displays. At the cutting edge of

fabrication and integration technologies are

systems ( NEMS). Typical examples are micrometres long, tens of

nanometre 330px, Different lengths as in respect to the Molecule">molecular scale. The nanometre (international spelling as used by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures; SI symbol: nm) or nanometer ( American spelling) is a unit of length ...

s thick, and have mechanical resonance frequencies approaching 100 MHz. Their small physical dimensions and mass (of order

pico- A metric prefix is a unit prefix that precedes a basic unit of measure to indicate a multiple or submultiple of the unit. All metric prefixes used today are decadic. Each prefix has a unique symbol that is prepended to any unit symbol. The pre ...

gram The gram (originally gramme; SI unit symbol g) is a unit of mass in the International System of Units (SI) equal to one one thousandth of a kilogram. Originally defined as of 1795 as "the absolute weight of a volume of pure water equal to ...

s) makes them highly sensitive to changes in

stiffness Stiffness is the extent to which an object resists deformation in response to an applied force. The complementary concept is flexibility or pliability: the more flexible an object is, the less stiff it is. Calculations The stiffness, k, of a b ...

; this, their synergy with mechanical and data processing systems, and the option of attaching chemical/ biological molecules, makes them ideal for ultra high-performance mechanical, chemical and biological sensing applications.

Spin physics

Spin physics is a broad and active area of

condensed-matter physics Condensed matter physics is the field of physics that deals with the macroscopic and microscopic physical properties of matter, especially the solid and liquid phases which arise from electromagnetic forces between atoms. More generally, the sub ...

research. ‘

Spin Spin or spinning most often refers to: * Spinning (textiles), the creation of yarn or thread by twisting fibers together, traditionally by hand spinning * Spin, the rotation of an object around a central axis * Spin (propaganda), an intentionally b ...

’ in this context refers to a

quantum mechanical Quantum mechanics is a fundamental theory in physics that provides a description of the physical properties of nature at the scale of atoms and subatomic particles. It is the foundation of all quantum physics including quantum chemistry, qu ...

property of certain

elementary particle In particle physics, an elementary particle or fundamental particle is a subatomic particle that is not composed of other particles. Particles currently thought to be elementary include electrons, the fundamental fermions (quarks, leptons, antiq ...

s and nuclei, and should not be confused with the

(and better-known) concept of

rotation Rotation, or spin, is the circular movement of an object around a '' central axis''. A two-dimensional rotating object has only one possible central axis and can rotate in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. A three-dimensional ...

. Spin physics spans studies of

nuclear Nuclear may refer to: Physics Relating to the nucleus of the atom: *Nuclear engineering *Nuclear physics *Nuclear power *Nuclear reactor *Nuclear weapon *Nuclear medicine *Radiation therapy *Nuclear warfare Mathematics *Nuclear space * Nuclear ...

and proton

magnetism Magnetism is the class of physical attributes that are mediated by a magnetic field, which refers to the capacity to induce attractive and repulsive phenomena in other entities. Electric currents and the magnetic moments of elementary particle ...

, and certain areas of optics.

Spintronics Spintronics (a portmanteau meaning spin transport electronics), also known as spin electronics, is the study of the intrinsic spin of the electron and its associated magnetic moment, in addition to its fundamental electronic charge, in solid-sta ...

is a branch of spin physics. Perhaps the two best known applications of spin physics are Magnetic Resonance Imaging (or

MRI Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a medical imaging technique used in radiology to form pictures of the anatomy and the physiological processes inside the body. MRI scanners use strong magnetic fields, magnetic field gradients, and radio w ...

) and the spintronic giant-magnetoresistive ( GMR)

hard disk A hard disk drive (HDD), hard disk, hard drive, or fixed disk is an electro-mechanical data storage device that stores and retrieves digital data using magnetic storage with one or more rigid rapidly rotating platters coated with mag ...

read head.

Spintronics

Spintronic

magnetoresistance Magnetoresistance is the tendency of a material (often ferromagnetic) to change the value of its electrical resistance in an externally-applied magnetic field. There are a variety of effects that can be called magnetoresistance. Some occur in bul ...

is a major scientific and commercial success story. Today, most families own a spintronic device: the giant-magnetoresistive ( GMR)

read head in their computer. The science that gave rise to this phenomenal business opportunity – and earned the 2007

Nobel Prize The Nobel Prizes ( ; sv, Nobelpriset ; no, Nobelprisen ) are five separate prizes that, according to Alfred Nobel's will of 1895, are awarded to "those who, during the preceding year, have conferred the greatest benefit to humankind." Alfre ...

for Physics – was the recognition that electrical carriers are characterized by both

charge Charge or charged may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Films * ''Charge, Zero Emissions/Maximum Speed'', a 2011 documentary Music * ''Charge'' (David Ford album) * ''Charge'' (Machel Montano album) * ''Charge!!'', an album by The Aqua ...

and Spin (physics), spin. Today, tunnelling-magnetoresistance (TMR) – which uses the electron spin as a label to allow or forbid

tunnelling – dominates the hard disk market and is rapidly establishing itself in areas as diverse as magnetic logic devices and biosensors.{{cite journal , last1=Schotter , first1=J. , last2=Kamp , first2=P.B. , last3=Becker , first3=A. , last4=Puhler , first4=A. , last5=Brinkmann , first5=D. , last6=Schepper , first6=W. , last7=Bruckl , first7=H. , last8=Reiss , first8=G. , display-authors=5, title=A biochip based on magnetoresistive sensors , journal=IEEE Transactions on Magnetics , publisher=Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) , volume=38 , issue=5 , year=2002 , issn=0018-9464 , doi=10.1109/tmag.2002.802290 , pages=3365–3367, bibcode=2002ITM....38.3365S Ongoing development is pushing the frontiers of TMR devices towards the

nanoscale The nanoscopic scale (or nanoscale) usually refers to structures with a length scale applicable to nanotechnology, usually cited as 1–100 nanometers (nm). A nanometer is a billionth of a meter. The nanoscopic scale is (roughly speaking) a lo ...

References

External links

Spintronics, Electric and magnetic fields in matter Electrical engineering Materials science Nanoelectronics Microtechnology Electromechanical engineering Control engineering