Chirality for low dissipation fast electronics

At a time when the global demand for data processing, cloud computing, and artificial intelligence is rapidly increasing, current electronic technologies are reaching their efficiency limits. The CCE addresses this urgent challenge by developing new approaches to low-energy-dissipation devices, with the long-term goal of helping to lower the energy consumption of digital technologies worldwide.

At the heart of our research lies a principle inspired by nature: chirality. Chiral objects cannot be superimposed on their mirror image by rotation or translation — much like human hands. This property lends intrinsic stability to many natural systems. At CCE, we aim to exploit this stability by combining chiral solid-state and molecular systems with electron spin. By coupling chirality and spin, we seek to develop materials suitable for ultrafast and low-loss electronic applications.

Our interdisciplinary research combines expertise from physics, chemistry, and materials science across three leading institutions: Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg, Freie Universität Berlin, and the University of Regensburg. Together with the Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics in Halle, we unite cutting-edge knowledge in chiral molecular systems, spintronics, and ultrafast dynamics to explore new materials and device architectures. 

We focus on three research areas. A | Structural chirality: We will engineer chiral structures of interfaces and solids to gain spin selectivity, spin control, and spin transport down to the atomic scale. B | Emergent chirality: We will explore chiral order in magnetic and superconducting phases to conceive low-loss devices for chiral spintronics. C | Ultrafast chirality: We will investigate chirality induced under conditions far from equilibrium and develop chiral lightwave electronics, where we use chirality to control electron flow for information processing at the ultimate speed limit.

The CCE is not only a center for scientific excellence but also a platform for education, support of early-career researchers, and innovation transfer. We aim to foster a vibrant research environment that nurtures early-career scientists and attracts international talents. In addition to groundbreaking research, we are committed to science communication and outreach. In collaboration with educational psychologists and didactics, we strive to inspire the next generation of scientists and promote broader public understanding of the importance of fundamental research.