UT-research causes a stir

If two superconducting materials are connected at an angle, and cooled to near zero Kelvin (minus 273 degrees Celsius) a spontaneous magnetic field develops, even though neither of the materials is magnetic by itself. A so-called half-flux quantum develops, an elementary magnetic field that can be bi-directional. For the first time UT-researchers have managed to connect several of these quanta and manipulate them: they can switch the magnetic field locally. This makes it possible to store information, which opens possibilities for superconducting electronics, and perhaps for quantum computers. Hans Hilgenkamp and his colleagues published these exciting results in last week's Nature.