Scientists Control Electrons Without Magnets Using Atomic Vibrations

Scientists have achieved a breakthrough in quantum physics by demonstrating that tiny atomic vibrations called chiral phonons can directly control electron motion without requiring magnets, batteries, or traditional electrical systems. The discovery, published in Nature Physics, opens the door to a new field called orbitronics, where information is processed using the orbital motion of electrons around atomic nuclei rather than their electrical charge or magnetic spin properties.

Traditionally, controlling orbital angular momentum in electrons has required expensive magnetic materials such as iron, which are heavy, costly, and difficult to scale for practical applications. The new approach eliminates these limitations by exploiting the unique properties of chiral materials, where atoms are arranged in spiral patterns similar to the threads of a screw. In these structures, atomic vibrations follow circular or spiral-like motions that can be transmitted through the material as collective waves.

The research was led by North Carolina State University in collaboration with multiple institutions including the University of Utah. "The generation of orbital currents traditionally necessitates the injection of charge current into specific transition metals, and many of these elements are now classified as critical materials," said Dali Sun, physicist at NC State and co-author of the study. "There are other ways to generate orbital angular momentum, but this method allows for the use of cheaper, more abundant materials."

Chiral phonons represent a previously untapped property of matter that occurs in materials with built-in asymmetry. Unlike symmetrical materials where atomic vibrations are typically side-to-side, chiral structures cause atoms to move in circular patterns that preserve directional information. When these vibrations travel as waves through the material, they can transfer their orbital angular momentum directly to electrons, effectively programming them with rotational motion that can carry and store information.

"We don't need a magnet. We don't need a battery. We don't need to use voltage. We just need a material with chiral phonons," explained Valy Vardeny, distinguished professor at the University of Utah and co-author of the study. The implications extend beyond fundamental physics to practical computing applications. As artificial intelligence demands continue to surge, traditional silicon-based systems face increasing energy consumption challenges. The brain remains five orders of magnitude more energy-efficient than digital computers, and orbital-based processing could help bridge this gap by mimicking neural computation principles while using abundant, non-toxic materials.