As traditional chip-scaling reaches its limits, scientists are turning to the subtle, twisted motions of atoms to find new ways to control electrons and power faster, more efficient computing.
Researchers have found a way to control electrons without magnets, using only the natural vibrations of atoms in certain materials. The work introduces a simpler and potentially more scalable approach to designing future electronic systems.
The study was led by scientists at North Carolina State University, with key contributions from the University of Utah and several other institutions. The findings appear in Nature Physics.
Modern electronics rely on the charge of electrons to process and store information. In recent years, researchers have expanded this idea through spintronics, which uses the spin of electrons. Now, a newer concept, orbitronics, is gaining ground.
Orbitronics focuses on how electrons move around an atom’s nucleus. This motion, known as orbital angular momentum, offers another way to carry information. It promises greater efficiency and reduced energy use.
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Until now, controlling this motion has required magnetic materials such as iron or other transition metals. These materials are not only costly but also difficult to integrate into compact, energy-efficient devices.
The new research takes a different path. It turns to a property known as chirality, a structural twist found in certain materials.
In most solids, atoms are arranged in symmetrical patterns. Their vibrations move in simple back-and-forth directions. But in chiral materials, the structure itself is spiral-like. This twist changes how atoms move.
Instead of linear motion, atoms follow circular paths. These circular vibrations propagate through the material as phonons. When the motion carries a defined direction, left-handed or right-handed, it forms what scientists call chiral phonons.
For the first time, researchers have shown that these phonons can directly transfer their angular momentum to electrons. In doing so, they generate orbital angular momentum without relying on external magnetic systems.
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Dali Sun, a physicist at North Carolina State University, emphasized the importance of reducing reliance on rare materials.
“Generating orbital currents has typically required injecting charge into specific transition metals,” Sun said. “Many of those materials are now classified as critical. This approach allows us to move away from them and use more accessible alternatives.”
Valy Vardeny of the University of Utah described the conceptual shift more directly.
“We don’t need magnets or applied voltage,” Vardeny said. “We only need materials that support chiral phonons. That changes how we think about controlling electrons at a fundamental level.”
To demonstrate the effect, the team turned to quartz, a material known for its natural chirality. Its atomic structure forms a spiral pattern, making it an ideal platform to study circular atomic motion.
Quartz also offers practical advantages. It is lightweight, inexpensive, and widely available.
Using advanced facilities at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory, researchers observed how chiral phonons behave inside quartz. They directed laser light through the material and analyzed subtle changes in the reflected signal. These measurements revealed something unexpected.
Although quartz is not magnetic, the motion of its atoms generates internal magnetic-like effects. These effects are strong enough to influence electron behavior.
Rikard Bodin, a doctoral researcher involved in the study, explained the significance.
“Chiral phonons give us new ways to interact with electrons,” Bodin said. “They act as internal handles we can use to guide motion that was previously difficult to control.”
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In their natural state, chiral phonons exist in a balance of left- and right-handed motions. This balance cancels out their overall effect.
To overcome this, researchers applied a magnetic field to align the phonons in a single direction within alpha-quartz. Once aligned, these vibrations transferred their angular momentum to electrons. What followed was a sustained flow of orbital motion.
Notably, this effect continued even after the external magnetic field was removed. The system retained its alignment long enough to generate measurable signals.
The team described this phenomenon as the ‘orbital Seebeck effect,’ drawing a parallel to known effects in spin-based electronics. Capturing this effect required translating atomic motion into a measurable quantity.
To achieve this, the researchers layered thin films of metals such as tungsten and titanium onto the quartz. These metals convert the orbital motion of electrons into electrical signals.
This allowed the team to confirm, for the first time, that chiral phonons can directly drive orbital currents in a non-magnetic material.
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While quartz served as a model system, the approach is not limited to a single material. Other chiral substances, including tellurium, selenium, and certain hybrid perovskites, may exhibit similar behavior. This flexibility opens the possibility of designing devices using a wider range of materials.
Equally important, the method reduces dependence on complex and expensive components. It also allows the generated motion to persist longer than in traditional systems. The implications extend beyond a single experiment.
By harnessing atomic vibrations instead of magnets, researchers may be outlining a new framework for electronic design. Devices built on this principle could operate more efficiently with simpler materials.
Orbitronics, once constrained by practical limitations, now appears closer to real-world applications. The study reflects a broader shift in physics, one that focuses less on adding complexity and more on uncovering hidden capabilities within ordinary materials.
As computing continues to evolve, such insights may prove essential. What began as a subtle twist in atomic motion may ultimately reshape how information moves through the technologies of tomorrow.
