Researchers Control the Flip of Electron Spin

karvind writes "According to PhysOrg, physicists in Europe, California and at Ohio University now have found a way to manipulate the spin of an electron with a jolt of voltage from a battery. In this experiment voltage was applied to Indium Arsenide based quantum dot which flipped the spin of electron inside it and emitted a photon. The scientists were able to manipulate how long it would take for the electron to flip its spin and emit a photon - from one to 20 nanoseconds. This may have possible applications in optoelectronics and quantum cryptography. Results were published in the latest issue of Physics Review Letters"

Election?

[Anonymous Coward]

Was I the only one who thought this read "Researchers Control the Flip of Election Spin"?

20/20 Hindsight

[yotto]

*...voltage was applied to Indium Arsenide based quantum dot which flipped the spin of electron inside it and emitted a photon. The scientists were able to manipulate how long it would take for the electron to flip its spin and emit a photon - from one to 20 nanoseconds.*

When you put it that way, I don't know why it wasn't this simple the whole time!

Mmmm... Dark exitons

[gerbalblaste]

"A dark exciton with total angular momentum L=2 ecomes a bright exciton with L=1."
Finally a practical application for decay dynamics following nongeminate excitation