Computing with Spin. In addition to their negative electrical charge, electrons have another property that can be exploited for memory and computation: spin. According to quantum mechanics, electrons spin on an axis, similar to the way the Earth rotates on its axis. This concept is theoretical, because an electron is considered to occupy a point in space, so it is difficult to imagine a point with no size that nonetheless spins. However, when an electrical charge moves, it causes a magnetic field, which is real and measurable. An electron can spin in one of two directions, described as “up”
...more
