Origin, development, and future of spintronics (Nobel lecture)

Abstract

(Figure Presented) Going for a spin: The discovery of giant magnetoresistance (GMR) opened up a new area of technology - spintronics - which, in contrast to conventional electronics, uses not only the charge, but also the spin of the electron. Applications of GMR have revolutionized hard-disk technology (see picture). Albert Fert, Nobel laureate in Physics 2007, describes firsthand the discovery of GMR and the development of spintronics. © 2008 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA.