Spintronics and Magnetism: Physics, Materials, and Applications

Abstract

Spintronics, or spin electronics, leverages the intrinsic spin of electrons and their associated magnetic moment, in addition to charge, for advanced information storage and processing technologies. Coupled with the field of magnetism, spintronics offers promising avenues for low-power, high-speed devices, magnetic random access memory (MRAM), spin transistors, and quantum computing. This review discusses the fundamental physics of spin-dependent phenomena, key magnetic and spintronic materials, synthesis and characterization techniques, and current and emerging applications. Special emphasis is given to spin transport, spin–orbit coupling, topological materials, and novel 2D magnetic materials. Challenges, including scalability, stability, and interface engineering, are also highlighted alongside future research directions.