Researchers transfer electron spin to photons

An international team, including researchers from CNRS, Université Paris-Saclay, Chinese Academy of Sciences, the University at Buffalo, University of Minnesota, State University of New York and others, recently used electrical pulses to manipulate magnetic information into a polarized light signal, which could revolutionize long-distance optical telecommunications.

The researchers applied an electrical pulse to transfer spin information from electrons to photons, the particles that make up light, allowing the information to be carried great distances at great speed. Their method meets three crucial criteria — operation at room temperature, no need of magnetic field and the ability for electrical control — and opens the door to a range of applications, including ultrafast communication and quantum technologies.