Albert Fert (Orsay) and Peter Grünberg (Jülich) were recognized in 2007 for the discovery of Giant Magnetoresistance (GMR) with the Nobel prize in physics, based on independent discoveries two decades earlier. Technology based on this fundamental effect involving spin-dependent electron scattering in thin ferromagnetic films has been used in the hard drive industry to enhance sensor sensitivity and helped to facilitate the drive towards increased storage capacity (http://www.nobelprize.orgobel_prizes/physics/ laureates/2007/press.html). GMR is one of the better known examples in the growing field of spintronics, where the magnetism of a material is used as a means to manipulate the electronics of nanometer scale devices. This rapidly expanding field has invigorated research into magnetic sensors and memories, creating promising new avenues for energy harvesting, data storage, and communicating and processing information.
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