Spintronics, from giant magnetoresistance to magnetic skyrmions and topological insulators

TL;DR

This paper provides an overview of spintronics, covering fundamental physical phenomena and applications, highlighting recent developments like magnetic skyrmions and topological insulators, and their potential impact on future information technologies.

Contribution

It offers a simplified, schematic introduction to spintronics phenomena and discusses current and future applications in information and communication technologies.

Findings

Overview of key spintronics phenomena

Discussion of applications in ICT

Introduction to emerging topics like skyrmions and topological insulators

Abstract

This article aims at giving a general presentation of spintronics, an important field of research developing today along many new directions in physics of condensed matter. We tried to present simply the physical phenomena involved in spintronics -- no equations but many schematics. We also described the applications of spintronics, those of today and those expected to have an important impact on the next developments of the information and communication technologies.