Conventional computers rely on the controlled motion of charge in transistors, the basic building blocks of integrated circuits. It has been pointed out, however, that if one could devise electronic devices based on the spin of particles — a quantum-mechanical property responsible for magnetism — completely new computing technologies might emerge that could outperform their conventional analogues. Such 'spintronic' devices have attracted much attention among researchers worldwide1. On page 72 of this issue, Joo et al.2 describe a computing scheme that combines the physics of charge motion in a magnetic field with conventional electronic devices in a way that promises to provide a significant step towards a spintronic computing technology*.
