Toward Plastic Spin Transistors

University of Utah physicists John Lupton and Christoph Boehme use green and blue laser beams to "excite" a small piece of an organic or "plastic" polymer (glowing orange near Boehme's right hand) that may serve as a light-emitting diode for computer and TV displays and perhaps lighting. A new study by Boehme, Lupton and colleagues sheds light on the maximum possible efficiency of organic LEDS. The physicists also found they could use the "spin" within electrons to control an electrical current -- a step toward developing "spin transistors" for a future generation of computers and electronics. Credit: Nick Borys, University of Utah