Scientists Found a Way to Control Electrons Without Magnets Could Make Computers Faster Without Using Electricity

In a breakthrough that could redefine the future of computing, scientists have discovered a completely new way to control electrons—without using magnets, batteries, or even electricity. Instead, they are using tiny atomic vibrations known as chiral phonons. This surprising discovery opens the door to a new field called orbitronics, which may power the next generation of faster, smaller, and more energy-efficient devices.

As the world generates more data than ever before, traditional computing technologies are reaching their limits. Today’s systems rely heavily on the movement of electric charge or electron spin. While these methods have worked well for decades, they also consume a lot of energy and depend on materials that are expensive and difficult to scale. To overcome these challenges, scientists are now exploring entirely new ways to process and store information at the atomic level.

One of the most promising ideas is orbitronics. In simple terms, orbitronics focuses on how electrons move around the nucleus of an atom. This motion, called orbital angular momentum, can carry information—just like electric current does in today’s devices. However, controlling this motion has always been difficult. Traditionally, it required magnetic materials such as iron, which are bulky and not ideal for miniaturized electronics.

That’s where this new discovery changes everything.

Researchers have found that chiral phonons—special types of atomic vibrations—can directly transfer motion to electrons, giving them orbital angular momentum without the need for magnets. This is the first time scientists have demonstrated such an effect in non-magnetic materials, removing one of the biggest obstacles in the development of orbitronics.

To understand this better, imagine how atoms behave inside a solid. Atoms are arranged in patterns called lattices, and they are constantly vibrating. In most materials, these vibrations move back and forth in a straight line. But in certain materials with a twisted structure, the motion becomes circular or spiral-like. These materials are called chiral materials.

A simple example of chirality is the human hand. Your left and right hands look similar, but they are mirror images and cannot be perfectly aligned. In the same way, chiral materials have a built-in “twist” that gives them unique properties.

When atoms in these materials vibrate, their motion spreads through the structure as waves called phonons. In chiral materials, these waves also move in a circular pattern, forming chiral phonons. Because this motion involves rotation, it carries angular momentum.

The key breakthrough is that this angular momentum can be passed directly to electrons.

In other words, instead of using external forces like electricity or magnetism, scientists can now use the natural motion of atoms to control how electrons behave. This is not only simpler but also far more energy-efficient.

One material that played a central role in this discovery is quartz. Quartz is commonly found in everyday items like watches and electronics, but it has a hidden advantage—it is naturally chiral. This means its atomic structure already supports the formation of chiral phonons.

What makes quartz even more interesting is that it can generate its own internal magnetic-like effects, even though it is not a magnetic material. Scientists confirmed this by using advanced laser techniques to observe how light interacts with the material. They found that chiral phonons in quartz can create measurable magnetic fields.

This is a surprising result because it challenges the traditional understanding that magnetism is required to influence electrons. Instead, the motion of atoms alone is enough to create similar effects.

To test their idea, researchers used a special form of quartz known as alpha-quartz. They applied a magnetic field to align the chiral phonons, ensuring that most of them rotated in the same direction. Once aligned, these phonons transferred their motion to electrons, creating a flow of orbital angular momentum.

Even more impressive, this effect continued even after the magnetic field was removed. This shows that the system can maintain its behavior without constant external input, which is highly desirable for energy-efficient technologies.

The scientists named this phenomenon the “orbital Seebeck effect.” It is similar to the well-known Seebeck effect, where heat differences generate an electric current. However, instead of producing electrical energy, this new effect generates a flow of orbital motion in electrons.

To measure this otherwise invisible process, the researchers added thin layers of metals such as tungsten and titanium on top of the quartz. These metals helped convert the orbital motion into an electrical signal that could be detected and studied.

The implications of this discovery are significant.

First, it reduces the need for rare and expensive materials. Since chiral phonons can exist in common materials like quartz, future devices could be cheaper and more sustainable.

Second, it offers a new way to design energy-efficient electronics. Because the system does not rely on continuous electrical input, it could greatly reduce power consumption in computing devices.

Third, it opens up entirely new possibilities in quantum and advanced computing. By controlling electrons at such a fundamental level, scientists may be able to create devices that are faster, more precise, and capable of handling complex tasks with ease.

Importantly, this approach is not limited to quartz. Other chiral materials, such as tellurium, selenium, and certain hybrid materials, could also be used. This flexibility makes the technology more adaptable and scalable for real-world applications.

Of course, this research is still in its early stages. While the results are promising, it may take years before we see practical devices based on this technology. However, history shows that breakthroughs like this often lead to rapid advancements once the scientific foundation is established.

Think about how technologies like semiconductors or lasers started as basic research and later transformed the world. Orbitronics could follow a similar path.

In conclusion, the discovery of controlling electrons using chiral phonons marks a major step forward in physics and materials science. By harnessing the natural motion of atoms, scientists have found a simpler, more efficient way to process information—without relying on magnets or electricity.

As research continues, this innovation could play a key role in shaping the future of computing, making devices faster, smarter, and more sustainable. What once seemed impossible is now becoming reality, proving once again that the smallest movements in nature can lead to the biggest technological revolutions.

Reference: 

1. Yoji Nabei, Cong Yang, Hong Sun, Hana Jones, Thuc Mai, Tian Wang, Rikard Bodin, Binod Pandey, Ziqi Wang, Yuzan Xiong, Andrew H. Comstock, Benjamin Ewing, John Bingen, Rui Sun, Dmitry Smirnov, Wei Zhang, Axel Hoffmann, Rahul Rao, Ming Hu, Z. Valy Vardeny, Binghai Yan, Xiaosong Li, Jun Zhou, Jun Liu, Dali Sun. Orbital Seebeck effect induced by chiral phonons. Nature Physics, 2026; 22 (2): 245 DOI: 10.1038/s41567-025-03134-x