A recent study has revealed that a spontaneous topological Hall effect can be driven by electric current. This research, conducted by physicists at the University of Cambridge, has demonstrated that the topological Hall effect (THE) can be induced in a magnetic system without an external magnetic field, something that had previously been thought impossible. This means that the THE can be switched on and off in a controllable way, allowing for its potential use in new types of electronics and spintronics.

The THE is a quantum-mechanical phenomenon that produces a voltage perpendicular to the direction of an applied electric current, even in the absence of an external magnetic field. The research team at the University of Cambridge has now shown that this effect can be generated spontaneously, without an external magnetic field, by applying an electric current. This means that switching the electric current on and off can be used to control the THE, opening up the possibility of using the effect to create new types of electronics and spintronics devices.

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source: Phys.org