Spin-driven electrical power generation at room temperature

Abstract

To mitigate climate change, our global society is harnessing direct (solar irradiation) and indirect (wind/water flow) sources of renewable electrical power generation. Emerging direct sources include current-producing thermal gradients in thermoelectric materials, while quantum physics-driven processes to convert quantum information into energy have been demonstrated at very low temperatures. The magnetic state of matter, assembled by ordering the electron's quantum spin property, represents a sizeable source of built-in energy. We propose to create a direct source of electrical power at room temperature (RT) by utilizing magnetic energy to harvest thermal fluctuations on paramagnetic (PM) centers. Our spin engine rectifies current fluctuations across the PM centers' spin states according to the electron spin by utilizing so-called 'spinterfaces' with high spin polarization. As a rare experimental event, we demonstrate how this path can generate 0.1nW at room temperature across a 20 micron-wide spintronic device called the magnetic tunnel junction, assembled using commonplace Co, C and MgO materials. The presence of this path in our experiment, which also generates very high spintronic performance, is confirmed by analytical and ab-initio calculations. Device downscaling, and the ability for other materials systems than the spinterface to select a transport spin channel at RT widens opportunities for routine device reproduction. The challenging control over PM centers within the tunnel barrier's nanotransport path may be addressed using oxide- and organic-based nanojunctions. At present densities in MRAM products, this spin engine could lead to 'always-on' areal power densities well beyond that generated by solar irradiation on earth. Further developing this concept can fundamentally alter our energy-driven society's global economic, social and geopolitical constructs.