Surprising control over photoelectrons from a topological insulator

Electrons flowing swiftly across the surface of topological insulators (TIs) are "spin polarized," their spin and momentum locked. The potential to control electron distribution in spintronic devices makes TIs a hot topic in materials science. Now scientists have discovered another useful surprise. Scientists have discovered how a photon beam can flip the spin polarization of electrons emitted from an exciting new material.

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