Over the past decades, the development of microelectronics has been driven by performance rather than sustainability. Among the promising alternative routes to replace or complement traditional semiconductor technology, spintronics stands out as the most emblematic example, where the spin of the electron, rather than its charge, is used to store and control information.

The advancement of spintronics and the non-volatility of magnetic materials led to the realization of magnetic read-heads, a broad range of sensors, and recently non-volatile memories that are being commercialized by global industry players, among which some have activities in Europe (Seagate, Global Foundries, Analog Devices, Intel...).

Ten years ago, spintronics started to evolve towards a new frontier: exploiting materials with strong spin-orbit coupling to implement novel physical mechanisms that can boost the performance of existing spintronic devices, leading to ultrafast memories and possibly higher information density. Nonetheless, this newtechnologyentirely relies on scarce metals,primarily Pt, Ir, Ta, Bi, all identified as «critical raw materials».

We propose to change the game by developing an entirely new technology based on abundant metals (such as Cu or Al). The success of OBELIX would establish Europe at the forefront of sustainable and resilient advanced microelectronics. This innovative technology is rooted in recently discovered (partly by the consortium) physical mechanisms that exploit the electron’s orbital angular momentum (OAM), rather than its spin.

‍Orbitronics, as we name it,could lead to new families of electronic components, from memories to sensors and logic, and possibly THz emitters and rf Nano-oscillators without the need for heavy metals. It has the potential not only to outperform existing devices but also to be strategically resilient and environmentally responsible.

The set of skills needed to ensure the success of the proposed program covers Materials Science for synthesis, growth and structural characterization of advanced materials, Nanotechnology to fabricate nanostructures and devices and microscale measurement setups, Experimental Physics for the measurements of the effects related to the orbital degree of freedom, Optics for developing laser sources with controlled angular momentum, Theory and materials modeling to explain and predict effects using effective and realistic tools, Electronic Engineering to assess the devices’ performance and facilitate the transfer to applications.

OBELIX will set the stage for an entirely new technology based on the physics of the electron orbital moment enabling the design of novel low-power functional ICT components, largely free from scarce materials such as Pt-group and rare-earth metals.

Beyond its scientific and economic innovation potential, OBELIX will contribute to the EU’s sustainable development goals and reduce its dependence on critical materials.