Flipping Photoelectron Spins in Topological Insulators

Inherently strange crystalline materials called 3D topological insulators (TIs) are a hot topic in materials science. Now, scientists working at ALS Beamline 4.0.3 have found that the spin polarization of electrons emitted from TIs can be completely controlled in three dimensions when hit with a photon beam, simply by tuning the polarization of the incident light.

Summary Slide