25-04-2012, 12:09 PM
What is Spintronics? a.k.a Magnetoelectronics, Spin Electronics, or Spin‐based Electronics.
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Spin Valve with Giant Magnetoresistance
One spintronic device that currently has wide commercial application is the spin‐valve. Most modern hard disk drives employ spin‐valves to read each magnetic bit contained on the spinning platters inside. A spin‐valve is essentially a spin “switch” that can be turned on and off by external magnetic fields. Basically, it is composed of two ferromagnetic layers separated by a very thin non‐ferromagnetic layer.
Magnetic Tunneling Junctions (MTJs)
Another type of magnetoresistance that is governed by similar quantum mechanical laws is being exploited as a better mechanism for a much more sensitive magnetic field sensor. Like GMR, tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) in a multilayer junction filters one spin polarization over another depending on the orientation of an external magnetic field. However, the two technologies differ in their exact filtering mechanism.
Spin Injection into Semiconductors
The goal of spintronics research is to eventually relieve present information technology from solely relying on the charge of electrons. The spin degree of freedom of an electron has shown to be a very viable candidate to save the microelectronics industry from the results of “Moore’s Law,” which describes a trend of electrical components getting increasingly smaller, eventually reaching atomic scales. Though much progress has been made, a final obstacle needs to be overcome for spintronics to emerge as dominant technology. Spintronics is highly energy efficient, and spintronic devices generate less heat in operation than semiconductor devices. This unique property may extend the life of “Moore’s Law” by having higher integration levels without astronomical heat generation.
Magnetic (sin) transistors are good candidates or logic devices (spin‐logic).
Keywords: spintronics, magnetoelectronics, spin electronics, spin‐based electronics, giant magnetoresistance, spin valves, magnetic tunneling junctions, tunneling magnetoresistance, colossal magnetoresistance, spin torque, momentum transfer, spin injection,
[attachment=20774]
Spin Valve with Giant Magnetoresistance
One spintronic device that currently has wide commercial application is the spin‐valve. Most modern hard disk drives employ spin‐valves to read each magnetic bit contained on the spinning platters inside. A spin‐valve is essentially a spin “switch” that can be turned on and off by external magnetic fields. Basically, it is composed of two ferromagnetic layers separated by a very thin non‐ferromagnetic layer.
Magnetic Tunneling Junctions (MTJs)
Another type of magnetoresistance that is governed by similar quantum mechanical laws is being exploited as a better mechanism for a much more sensitive magnetic field sensor. Like GMR, tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) in a multilayer junction filters one spin polarization over another depending on the orientation of an external magnetic field. However, the two technologies differ in their exact filtering mechanism.
Spin Injection into Semiconductors
The goal of spintronics research is to eventually relieve present information technology from solely relying on the charge of electrons. The spin degree of freedom of an electron has shown to be a very viable candidate to save the microelectronics industry from the results of “Moore’s Law,” which describes a trend of electrical components getting increasingly smaller, eventually reaching atomic scales. Though much progress has been made, a final obstacle needs to be overcome for spintronics to emerge as dominant technology. Spintronics is highly energy efficient, and spintronic devices generate less heat in operation than semiconductor devices. This unique property may extend the life of “Moore’s Law” by having higher integration levels without astronomical heat generation.
Magnetic (sin) transistors are good candidates or logic devices (spin‐logic).
Keywords: spintronics, magnetoelectronics, spin electronics, spin‐based electronics, giant magnetoresistance, spin valves, magnetic tunneling junctions, tunneling magnetoresistance, colossal magnetoresistance, spin torque, momentum transfer, spin injection,