In a groundbreaking advancement poised to revolutionize the future of computing technology, researchers at Rice University have uncovered that minute wrinkles in two-dimensional (2D) materials can exert unprecedented control over the quantum spin of electrons. This discovery brings spintronics—the emerging field exploiting electron spin for data processing—one step closer to practical, ultra-efficient, and ultra-compact electronic devices. By bending atomically thin layers such as molybdenum ditelluride (MoTe₂), the team has engineered unique spin textures known as persistent spin helix (PSH), a phenomenon that could fundamentally overcome longstanding challenges in preserving quantum spin information.
Traditional electronic devices primarily manipulate the charge of electrons sailing through silicon-based semiconductors to encode and process information. However, as the demand for faster and more power-conscious computation escalates globally, this methodology confronts serious energy consumption and miniaturization limitations. Spintronics offers a tantalizing alternative by harnessing the intrinsic angular momentum—or spin—of electrons, which manifests as binary states labeled “up” or “down.” Encoding information in spin states can drastically reduce energy use because it potentially eliminates the need for electron movement, thereby enabling devices with smaller footprints and lower heat dissipation.
The chief hurdle in advancing spintronics lies in maintaining spin coherence; electron spins tend to relax swiftly due to interactions and collisions with atoms within a material. This scattering-induced decay leads to rapid loss of stored information, stalling development efforts for reliable spin-based technologies. The Rice University study introduces an innovative solution by bending 2D materials to exploit internal electric fields generated from strain gradients, a process known as flexoelectric polarization. When a sheet is creased or bent, the top layer experiences tensile strain while the bottom is compressed, causing a separation of charges that culminates in intricate internal fields influencing electron behavior.
These internal electric fields produced by mechanical deformation alter the spin-orbit interaction within the material, effectively splitting spin-up and spin-down electrons into different momentum spaces, resulting in the distinctive persistent spin helix state. Unlike conventional materials where electron spin direction shifts with momentum changes, in a PSH, spins maintain alignment despite scattering events. The researchers demonstrated this effect in MoTe₂, where the bending-induced flexoelectricity manages to stabilize the spin texture, dramatically extending its lifetime and coherence length.
A particularly striking aspect of this discovery is the remarkably short spin-precession length achieved—approximately 1 nanometer—the shortest reported for PSH systems to date. Spin-precession length refers to the distance over which an electron spin flips orientation. The extremely compact scale suggests that future spintronics devices leveraging these mechanically engineered wrinkles could be scaled down to dimensions previously considered unattainable. Such miniaturization harbors immense potential for integrating high-density spintronic components onto chips, advancing both speed and energy efficiency far beyond existing CMOS technology.
The formation of PSH states via mechanical creasing is inherently tied to the geometry and curvature of 2D materials. Wrinkles and hairpin-like folds, commonly observed in these ultrathin sheets, create regions of intense curvature that amplify the flexoelectric effect. These morphological features naturally induce substantial internal electric fields capable of modulating spin polarization profoundly. The Rice group’s insight that these nanoscale “mechanical pinches” inherently facilitate persistent spin states opens a new paradigm for designing novel materials and devices without relying on complex chemical doping or external fields.
What makes this approach particularly elegant is the convergence of macroscopic mechanical deformation with quantum relativistic physics governing electron spins. The flexoelectric-induced spin textures arise from an intricate interplay between elasticity and the spin-orbit coupling phenomena, bridging previously disconnected realms of physics. According to Sunny Gupta, a lead postdoctoral researcher on the study, such a union challenges conventional thinking since quantum coherence phenomena rarely align with bulk mechanical properties, making this discovery both conceptually profound and technologically transformative.
Beyond the immediate implications for spintronics, this research advances a versatile strategy for engineering exotic quantum field profiles in 2D materials. Precise control over curvature and strain gradients enables the tailoring of local electric fields with nano-scale resolution, thus fine-tuning spintronic functionalities. This capability could facilitate the creation of spin-based quantum devices with programmable properties, including highly sensitive sensors, non-volatile memory elements, and components for quantum information processing.
The study’s significance extends further considering the growing pressures on data centers and computing infrastructures worldwide, as their increasing electrical demand intensifies environmental concerns. Transitioning to spin-controlled electronics promises lower power dissipation and sustainable scaling, which are pivotal for the future of green technology. It also aligns with the quest for post-silicon computing architectures that overcome the physical and economic constraints hindering silicon transistor miniaturization.
Funded by multiple U.S. agencies, including the Office of Naval Research, Army Research Office, National Science Foundation, Department of Energy, and Department of Defense, the research benefits from a collaborative framework attuned to scientific innovation with practical impact. Boris Yakobson, the Karl F. Hasselmann Professor and corresponding author, emphasizes the simplicity and accessibility of the method: “A humble ‘mechanical pinch,’ which occurs easily in 2D materials, splits the spins and induces PSH texture.” This suggests widespread applicability across a variety of 2D materials and device architectures.
In summary, this discovery underscores the enormous potential embedded in the mechanical manipulation of ultra-thin materials to orchestrate quantum spin states robustly. By leveraging naturally occurring wrinkles and folds, researchers can now envision a future where computer processors and memory components operate on entirely new quantum mechanical principles, promising leaps in computational speed and energy efficiency. As the field of spintronics continues to mature, such innovative approaches will undoubtedly be critical to unlocking next-generation technologies that redefine the limits of electronics.
Subject of Research: The mechanical modulation of electron spin states in two-dimensional materials for spintronic applications.
Article Title: Mechanical crease in 2D materials — A platform for large spin splitting and persistent spin helix
News Publication Date: 21-Aug-2025
Web References:
https://news.rice.edu/
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2590238525004217?via%3Dihub
http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.matt.2025.102378
References:
Gupta, S., Yakobson, B.I., et al. “Mechanical crease in 2D materials — A platform for large spin splitting and persistent spin helix.” Matter, 19-Aug-2025. DOI: 10.1016/j.matt.2025.102378
Image Credits: Photo by Jorge Vidal/Rice University
Keywords
Spintronics, Engineering, Materials science, Two dimensional materials, Spin polarization, Molecular dynamics
