FSU receives grant for spintronics study

TALLAHASSEE, Fla., Oct. 22 (UPI) -- Florida State University scientists say they'll use a $450,000 National Science Foundation grant for basic research in an emerging field known as spintronics.

Physics Professors Stephan von Molnar and Peng Xiong said the money will be used to perform advanced measurements on semiconductors developed by colleagues in China. The said they want to determine whether a basic property of electrons -- their 'spin' -- can be harnessed in such a way that future computers and other high-tech electronic devices would require far less power to run.

Beyond the research itself, the scientists said the funding is significant because it is the first of the NSF's Materials World Network grants to support a collaborative effort between U.S. and Chinese researchers.

"We plan to establish an exchange program that will afford our students firsthand exposure to materials research in a premier Chinese institution," von Molnar added. "They will receive extensive experience in condensed-matter experimental techniques that they wouldn't be able to get at most U.S. universities."