Electron Spin Sings in a Magnetic Field
A laser beam hits a shiny crystal, and comes back different: slightly shifted in color, with a different polarization. In a magnetic field, this transformation of light becomes especially noticeable.
Light Spins Up the Spins
A beam of circularly polarized light hits a MAPbI3 perovskite crystal. The electrons inside start behaving like tiny spinning tops, their axes aligning along the beam. This phenomenon is known as optical spin orientation.
Record Spin Lifetime in Tiny Crystals
An electron is like a tiny spinning top — it's constantly rotating. This property is called spin, and it's crucial for quantum technologies. But under normal conditions, the environment quickly disrupts the rotation, like a top stumbling on gritty sand.
Excitons in Copper Oxide: When 'Atoms' Get Crowded
A copper oxide crystal looks like a dark red pebble. But when a short laser pulse hits it, pairs are born inside: an electron and a 'hole'—a place where an electron is missing. Such a pair is called an exciton and behaves almost like a hydrogen atom: the particles circle each other, bound by electric attraction.