Spin-based logic in semiconductors for reconfigurable large-scale circuits

Research in semiconductor spintronics aims to extend the scope of conventional electronics by using the spin degree of freedom of an electron in addition to its charge. Significant scientific advances in this area have been reported, such as the development of diluted ferromagnetic semiconductors, spin injection into semiconductors from ferromagnetic metals and discoveries of new physical phenomena involving electron spin. Yet no viable means of developing spintronics in semiconductors has been presented. Here we report a theoretical design that is a conceptual step forward-spin accumulation is used as the basis of a semiconductor computer circuit. Although the giant magnetoresistance effect in metals has already been commercially exploited, it does not extend to semiconductor/ferromagnet systems, because the effect is too weak for logic operations. We overcome this obstacle by using spin accumulation rather than spin flow. The basic element in our design is a logic gate that consists of a semiconductor structure with multiple magnetic contacts; this serves to perform fast and reprogrammable logic operations in a noisy, room-temperature environment. We then introduce a method to interconnect a large number of these gates to form a 'spin computer'. As the shrinking of conventional complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) transistors reaches its intrinsic limit, greater computational capability will mean an increase in both circuit area and power dissipation. Our spin-based approach may provide wide margins for further scaling and also greater computational capability per gate.     

Electronic measurement and control of spin transport in silicon

The spin lifetime and diffusion length of electrons are transport parameters that define the scale of coherence in spintronic devices and circuits. As these parameters are many orders of magnitude larger in semiconductors than in metals, semiconductors could be the most suitable for spintronics. So far, spin transport has only been measured in direct-bandgap semiconductors or in combination with magnetic semiconductors, excluding a wide range of non-magnetic semiconductors with indirect bandgaps. Most notable in this group is silicon, Si, which (in addition to its market entrenchment in electronics) has long been predicted a superior semiconductor for spintronics with enhanced lifetime and transport length due to low spin-orbit scattering and lattice inversion symmetry. Despite this promise, a demonstration of coherent spin transport in Si has remained elusive, because most experiments focused on magnetoresistive devices; these methods fail because of a fundamental impedance mismatch between ferromagnetic metal and semiconductor, and measurements are obscured by other magnetoelectronic effects. Here we demonstrate conduction-band spin transport across 10 mum undoped Si in a device that operates by spin-dependent ballistic hot-electron filtering through ferromagnetic thin films for both spin injection and spin detection. As it is not based on magnetoresistance, the hot-electron spin injection and spin detection avoids impedance mismatch issues and prevents interference from parasitic effects. The clean collector current shows independent magnetic and electrical control of spin precession, and thus confirms spin coherent drift in the conduction band of silicon.     

Electrical spin injection and accumulation at room temperature in an all-metal mesoscopic spin valve

Finding a means to generate, control and use spin-polarized currents represents an important challenge for spin-based electronics, or 'spintronics'. Spin currents and the associated phenomenon of spin accumulation can be realized by driving a current from a ferromagnetic electrode into a non-magnetic metal or semiconductor. This was first demonstrated over 15 years ago in a spin injection experiment on a single crystal aluminium bar at temperatures below 77 K. Recent experiments have demonstrated successful optical detection of spin injection in semiconductors, using either optical injection by circularly polarized light or electrical injection from a magnetic semiconductor. However, it has not been possible to achieve fully electrical spin injection and detection at room temperature. Here we report room-temperature electrical injection and detection of spin currents and observe spin accumulation in an all-metal lateral mesoscopic spin valve, where ferromagnetic electrodes are used to drive a spin-polarized current into crossed copper strips. We anticipate that larger signals should be obtainable by optimizing the choice of materials and device geometry.     

T型有机器件自旋注入效率的提高

考虑到有机半导体中特殊的载流子电荷自旋关系,建立了一个自旋注入有机半导体的简单的T型器件模型,运用自旋扩散理论计算得出了此模型的电流白旋极化率并与铁磁／有机半导体异质结构的注入效率进行了比较．理论计算发现T型模型中通过调节分支电流的大小会使自旋极化率较铁磁／有机半导体模型有明显的提高,并讨论了极化子比率、外加电场、自旋相关界面电阻以及有机半导体电导率等因素对电流自旋极化性质的影响．     

颗粒系统稀土掺杂氧化物的磁电阻效应

具有钙钵矿结构的稀土掺杂氧化物具有很强的磁电阻效应，该类材料所显示的复杂的物理现象和可能的应用前景引起人们的很大兴趣。但是其磁转变温度一般低于室温，而且需要很高的外加磁场才能够饱和。为实现室温和低场磁电阻，人们采用多种方法，如制备复合材料或尺寸在纳米量级的多晶体系。本文重点介绍了锰酸盐颗粒体系的结构特点、磁电阻效应以及产生成电阻效应的可能机理。     

Detecting excitation and magnetization of individual dopants in a semiconductor

An individual magnetic atom doped into a semiconductor is a promising building block for bottom-up spintronic devices and quantum logic gates. Moreover, it provides a perfect model system for the atomic-scale investigation of fundamental effects such as magnetism in dilute magnetic semiconductors. However, dopants in semiconductors so far have not been studied by magnetically sensitive techniques with atomic resolution that correlate the atomic structure with the dopant's magnetism. Here we show electrical excitation and read-out of a spin associated with a single magnetic dopant in a semiconductor host. We use spin-resolved scanning tunnelling spectroscopy to measure the spin excitations and the magnetization curve of individual iron surface-dopants embedded within a two-dimensional electron gas confined to an indium antimonide (110) surface. The dopants act like isolated quantum spins the states of which are governed by a substantial magnetic anisotropy that forces the spin to lie in the surface plane. This result is corroborated by our first principles calculations. The demonstrated methodology opens new routes for the investigation of sample systems that are more widely studied in the field of spintronics-that is, Mn in GaAs (ref. 5), magnetic ions in semiconductor quantum dots, nitrogen-vacancy centres in diamond and phosphorus spins in silicon.     

Giant spin Seebeck effect in a non-magnetic material

The spin Seebeck effect is observed when a thermal gradient applied to a spin-polarized material leads to a spatially varying transverse spin current in an adjacent non-spin-polarized material, where it gets converted into a measurable voltage. It has been previously observed with a magnitude of microvolts per kelvin in magnetically ordered materials, ferromagnetic metals, semiconductors and insulators. Here we describe a signal in a non-magnetic semiconductor (InSb) that has the hallmarks of being produced by the spin Seebeck effect, but is three orders of magnitude larger (millivolts per kelvin). We refer to the phenomenon that produces it as the giant spin Seebeck effect. Quantizing magnetic fields spin-polarize conduction electrons in semiconductors by means of Zeeman splitting, which spin-orbit coupling amplifies by a factor of ～25 in InSb. We propose that the giant spin Seebeck effect is mediated by phonon-electron drag, which changes the electrons' momentum and directly modifies the spin-splitting energy through spin-orbit interactions. Owing to the simultaneously strong phonon-electron drag and spin-orbit coupling in InSb, the magnitude of the giant spin Seebeck voltage is comparable to the largest known classical thermopower values.     

Persistent sourcing of coherent spins for multifunctional semiconductor spintronics.

Recent studies of n-type semiconductors have demonstrated spin-coherent transport over macroscopic distances, with spin-coherence times exceeding 100 ns; such materials are therefore potentially useful building blocks for spin-polarized electronics ('spintronics'). Spin injection into a semiconductor (a necessary step for spin electronics) has proved difficult; the only successful approach involves classical injection of spins from magnetic semiconductors. Other work has shown that optical excitation can provide a short (<500 ps) non-equilibrium burst of coherent spin transfer across a GaAs/ZnSe interface, but less than 10% of the total spin crosses into the ZnSe layer, leaving long-lived spins trapped in the GaAs layer (ref. 9). Here we report a 'persistent' spin-conduction mode in biased semiconductor heterostructures, in which the sourcing of coherent spin transfer lasts at least 1-2 orders of magnitude longer than in unbiased structures. We use time-resolved Kerr spectroscopy to distinguish several parallel channels of interlayer spin-coherent injection. The relative increase in spin-coherent injection is up to 500% in the biased structures, and up to 4,000% when p-n junctions are used to impose a built-in bias. These experiments reveal promising opportunities for multifunctional spin electronic devices (such as spin transistors that combine memory and logic functions), in which the amplitude and phase of the net spin current are controlled by either electrical or magnetic fields.     

二芳基芴类有机/聚合物半导体材料研究进展

在众多构建有机半导体材料分子结构中,二芳基芴类半导体凭借其特殊的电子、空间、位阻以及构象结构展现出良好的商业化前景.国内外研究学者致力于二芳基芴类电致发光小分子与聚合物半导体材料的研究,大量二芳基芴类电致发光小分子与聚合物半导体材料,包括电致发光材料、载流子传输材料、磷光器件的主体材料和电存储材料等已经得到了报道.文中以作者课题组的工作为主线系统总结了二芳基芴类有机/聚合物光电材料的分子结构、性质、及其应用等方面的进展,并展望了二芳基芴类有机/聚合物半导体材料未来发展的趋势与脉络.     

铁磁/有机系统的自旋扩散漂移性质研究

基于自旋扩散漂移方程和欧姆定律,理论研究了电场对铁磁/有机半导体界面的电流自旋极化性质的影响.考虑到有机半导体内特殊的载流子以及电场对其自旋扩散长度的影响,计算了界面处的电流自旋极化率.结果表明,高电场可以使界面处的电流自旋极化率得到有效提高.同时还进一步研究了电场下有机半导体中极化子比率、自旋相关界面电阻等因素对电流自旋极化的影响.     

钙钛矿La2/3Pb1/3MnO3外延膜的制备及磁性

利用磁控溅射法在单晶LaAlO3(100)衬底上成功地外延生长了La2/3Pb1/3MnO3薄膜.用X射线衍射仪、原子力显微镜和超导量子干涉仪、直流四探针法对其进行了表征.结果表明,薄膜为赝立方钙钛矿结构,晶格常数为3.861 nm,晶格失配度为2.1%,具有良好的单晶外延结构和较光滑的表面,且薄膜中晶粒的生长模式是"柱状"模式.居里温度为325 K,在居里温度附近,发生铁磁-顺磁转变.此材料呈现出一种典型的自旋玻璃特性.是由于应力造成的.在1.OT磁场下,其磁电阻为23.4%.     

铁磁/有机系统的自旋扩散漂移性质研究王

基于自旋扩散漂移方程和欧姆定律, 理论研究了电场对铁磁/有机半导体界面的电流自旋极化性质的影响. 考虑到有机半导体内特殊的载流子以及电场对其自旋扩散长度的影响, 计算了界面处的电流自旋极化率. 结果表明, 高电场可以使界面处的电流自旋极化率得到有效提高. 同时还进一步研究了电场下有机半导体中极化子比率、自旋相关界面电阻等因素对电流自旋极化的影响.     

Transformation of spin information into large electrical signals using carbon nanotubes

Spin electronics (spintronics) exploits the magnetic nature of electrons, and this principle is commercially applied in, for example, the spin valves of disk-drive read heads. There is currently widespread interest in developing new types of spintronic devices based on industrially relevant semiconductors, in which a spin-polarized current flows through a lateral channel between a spin-polarized source and drain. However, the transformation of spin information into large electrical signals is limited by spin relaxation, so that the magnetoresistive signals are below 1% (ref. 2). Here we report large magnetoresistance effects (61% at 5 K), which correspond to large output signals (65 mV), in devices where the non-magnetic channel is a multiwall carbon nanotube that spans a 1.5 microm gap between epitaxial electrodes of the highly spin polarized manganite La(0.7)Sr(0.3)MnO3. This spintronic system combines a number of favourable properties that enable this performance; the long spin lifetime in nanotubes due to the small spin-orbit coupling of carbon; the high Fermi velocity in nanotubes that limits the carrier dwell time; the high spin polarization in the manganite electrodes, which remains high right up to the manganite-nanotube interface; and the resistance of the interfacial barrier for spin injection. We support these conclusions regarding the interface using density functional theory calculations. The success of our experiments with such chemically and geometrically different materials should inspire new avenues in materials selection for future spintronics applications.     

巨磁电阻自旋阀多层膜的结构和磁性

用磁控溅射镀膜方法，制成了巨磁电阻自旋阀多层膜Ｔａ／ＮｉＦｅ／Ｃｕ／ＮｉＦｅ／ＦｅＭｎ／Ｔａ。它具有优良的特性。其室温磁电阻比率ＭＲ〉２％，自由层矫元力Ｈｃｌ〈１６０Ａ／ｍ，自由层零磁场漂Ｈｆ〈８００Ａ／ｍ和钉 扎层交换场Ｈｅｘ≈２０×１０＾３Ａ／Ｍ。     

磁电阻材料的研究进展

磁电阻效应在基础研究上具有重要意义及广泛的应用前景,寻找既具有低饱和场,又具有高磁电阻效应的磁性材料已成为当前国际上材料研究热点之一.本文介绍了几种磁电阻效应以及磁电阻材料在高密度读出磁头、磁性随机存储器等领域的应用前景.     

自旋注入效率的电学探测

为了探测从铁磁FM（ferromagnet）到半导体SM（semiconductor）的自旋注入效率,可以通过增加另一个铁磁体来形成一个铁磁／半导体／铁磁（FM／SM／FM）的双结,通过直接测量此双结的磁阻效应,从而得到从铁磁（FM）到半导体（SM）节的自旋注入效率。理论分析发现其隧道磁阻TMR（tunnelling magnetore resistance）和自旋注入效率SIE（spin injection efficiency）之间有个普适关系：隧道磁阻是自旋注入效率的平方。这种平方关系在顺序隧穿区和散射区都成立,除非双结间半导体层厚度很长导致自旋翻转效应的发生或中间的半导体层厚度小于其相位相干长度而导致磁阻中出现量子相干效应。     

贵金属/半导体异质结中的光致自旋电流效应研究

自旋电子材料因能同时对电子的自旋和电荷两个自由度实施操控,在构筑以低功耗、超高速、大容量和超宽带为特征的新一代信息处理技术中展现出巨大的应用潜力.然而,通过掺杂过渡金属元素和稀土离子而形成的传统稀磁半导体和钙钛矿锰氧化物往往因结构缺陷导致的居里温度不高、自旋磁矩和自旋极化率偏低等不足,阻碍了自旋电子材料的商业化应用.近年来,在高纯半导体上沉积贵金属薄膜所形成的贵金属/半导体异质结中,通过使用偏振光激发该类异质结可产生纯自旋电流.这种基于逆自旋霍尔效应(ISHE)、可在室温下运行的、非接触和非破坏型的自旋极化激励方法理论上可获得高于50%自旋极化率,引起了人们的广泛关注.文章主要介绍光致自旋电流形成机制和测试方法,以及入射光圆偏振度、光强、入射角度等参数对光致自旋注入效率的调控机理,介绍杂质介导和声子介导对光致自旋输运的贡献,最后提出增强光致自旋电子极化率的可行方案,可为揭示自旋载流子产生、注入和输运相关的自旋动力学核心科学问题以及研制高性能自旋电子器件提供有益的参考.     

Perpendicular switching of a single ferromagnetic layer induced by in-plane current injection

Modern computing technology is based on writing, storing and retrieving information encoded as magnetic bits. Although the giant magnetoresistance effect has improved the electrical read out of memory elements, magnetic writing remains the object of major research efforts. Despite several reports of methods to reverse the polarity of nanosized magnets by means of local electric fields and currents, the simple reversal of a high-coercivity, single-layer ferromagnet remains a challenge. Materials with large coercivity and perpendicular magnetic anisotropy represent the mainstay of data storage media, owing to their ability to retain a stable magnetization state over long periods of time and their amenability to miniaturization. However, the same anisotropy properties that make a material attractive for storage also make it hard to write to. Here we demonstrate switching of a perpendicularly magnetized cobalt dot driven by in-plane current injection at room temperature. Our device is composed of a thin cobalt layer with strong perpendicular anisotropy and Rashba interaction induced by asymmetric platinum and AlOx interface layers. The effective switching field is orthogonal to the direction of the magnetization and to the Rashba field. The symmetry of the switching field is consistent with the spin accumulation induced by the Rashba interaction and the spin-dependent mobility observed in non-magnetic semiconductors, as well as with the torque induced by the spin Hall effect in the platinum layer. Our measurements indicate that the switching efficiency increases with the magnetic anisotropy of the cobalt layer and the oxidation of the aluminium layer, which is uppermost, suggesting that the Rashba interaction has a key role in the reversal mechanism. To prove the potential of in-plane current switching for spintronic applications, we construct a reprogrammable magnetic switch that can be integrated into non-volatile memory and logic architectures. This device is simple, scalable and compatible with present-day magnetic recording technology.     

巨磁电阻应用的现状与展望

介绍了巨磁电阻材料在高密度读出磁头、磁传感器、磁性随机存储器等领域的应用。对今后应开展的研究和应用作了展望。     

2017年有机功能材料研发热点回眸

 从高效柔性有机半导体器件、高效有机太阳能电池、高效有机白光二极管、有机光伏器件的磁效应、有机自旋光伏器件设计等5个方面，盘点了2017年有机功能材料领域的重要研究进展；从有机电子学、有机光电子学和有机自旋电子学等多个角度，回顾了有机功能材料新奇的物理现象及原理；预测了该领域未来的发展方向。