We develop a theory for spin transport and magnetization dynamics in a quantum-dot spin valve, i.e., two magnetic reservoirs coupled to a quantum dot. Our theory is able to take into account effects of strong correlations. We demonstrate that, as a result of these strong correlations, the dot gate voltage enables control over the current-induced torques on the magnets, and, in particular, enables voltage-controlled magnetic switching. The electrical resistance of the structure can be used to read out the magnetic state. Our model may be realized by a number of experimental systems, including magnetic scanning-tunneling microscope tips and artificial quantum dot systems.
The current induced magnetization reversal in nanoscale spin valves is a potential alternative to magnetic field switching in magnetic memory devices. We show that the critical switching current can be decreased by an order of magnitude by strategically distributing the resistances in the magnetically active region of the spin valve. In addition, we simulate full switching curves and predict a new precessional state.
We study a pseudo-spin-1/2 quantum dot in the cotunneling regime close to the particle-hole symmetric point. For a generic tunneling matrix we find a generic fixed point with interesting nonequilibrium properties, characterized by effective reservoirs with compensating spin orientation vectors weighted by the polarizations and the tunneling rates. At large bias voltage we study the magnetic field dependence of the dot magnetization and the current. The fixed point can be clearly identified by analyzing the magnetization of the dot. We characterize in detail the universal properties for the cas…
Magnetization switching due to a current-pulse in symmetric and asymmetric spin valves is studied theoretically within the macrospin model. The switching process and the corresponding switching parameters are shown to depend significantly on the pulse duration and also on the interplay of the torques due to spin transfer and external magnetic field. This interplay leads to peculiar features in the corresponding phase diagram. These features in standard spin valves, where the spin transfer torque stabilizes one of the magnetic configurations (either parallel or antiparallel) and destabilizes th…
In all-perpendicular spin valve nanopillars the probability density of the free-layer magnetization is independent of the azimuthal angle and its evolution equation simplifies considerably compared to the general, nonaxisymmetric geometry. Expansion of the time-dependent probability density to Legendre polynomials enables analytical integration of the evolution equation and yields a compact expression for the practically relevant switching probability. This approach is valid when the free layer behaves as a single-domain magnetic particle and it can be readily applied to fitting experimental d…
Switching field measurements of the free layer element of 75 nm diameter spin-valve nanopillars reveal a bimodal distribution of switching fields at low temperatures (below 100 K). This result is inconsistent with a model of thermal activation over a single perpendicular anisotropy barrier. The correlation between antiparallel to parallel and parallel to antiparallel switching fields increases to nearly 50% at low temperatures. This reflects random fluctuation of the shift of the free layer hysteresis loop between two different magnitudes, which may originate from changes in the dipole field f…
We present switching field distributions of spin-transfer assisted magnetization reversal in perpendicularly magnetized Co/Ni multilayer spin-valve nanopillars at room temperature. Switching field measurements of the Co/Ni free layer of spin-valve nanopillars with a 50 nm x 300 nm ellipse cross section were conducted as a function of current. The validity of a model that assumes a spin-current dependent effective barrier for thermally activated reversal is tested by measuring switching field distributions under applied direct currents. We show that the switching field distributions deviate sig…
We present temperature dependent switching measurements of the Co/Ni multilayered free element of 75 nm diameter spin-valve nanopillars. Angular dependent hysteresis measurements as well as switching field measurements taken at low temperature are in agreement with a model of thermal activation over a perpendicular anisotropy barrier. However, the statistics of switching (mean switching field and switching variance) from 20 K up to 400 K are in disagreement with a Néel-Brown model that assumes a temperature independent barrier height and anisotropy field. We introduce a modified Néel-Brown mod…
We analyze spin-dependent transport through spin valves composed of an interacting quantum dot coupled to two ferromagnetic leads. The spin on the quantum dot and the linear conductance as a function of the relative angle $θ$ of the leads' magnetization directions is derived to lowest order in the dot-lead coupling strength. Due to the applied bias voltage spin accumulates on the quantum dot, which for finite charging energy experiences a torque, resulting in spin precession. The latter leads to a non-trivial, interaction-dependent, $θ$-dependence of the conductance. In particular, we find tha…
We study the spin-dependent transport properties of a spin valve based on a double quantum dot. Each quantum dot is assumed to be strongly coupled to its own ferromagnetic lead, while the coupling between the dots is relatively weak. The current flowing through the system is determined within the perturbation theory in the hopping between the dots, whereas the spectrum of a quantum dot-ferromagnetic lead subsystem is determined by means of the numerical renormalization group method. The spin-dependent charge fluctuations between ferromagnets and quantum dots generate an effective exchange fiel…
We study sharp peaks in the conductance-voltage characteristics of a double quantum dot and a quantum dot spin-valve that are located around zero bias. The peaks share similarities with a Kondo peak but can be clearly distinguished, in particular as they occur at high temperatures. The underlying physical mechanism is a strong current suppression that is quenched in bias-voltage dependent ways by exchange interactions. Our theoretical results are based on the quantum master equation methodology, including the Born-Markov approximation and a numerically exact, hierarchical scheme, which we exte…
Nanoscale multifunctional perpendicular organic spin valves have been fabricated. The devices based on an La$_{0.7}$Sr$_{0.3}$MnO$_3$/Alq$_3$/Co trilayer show resistive switching of up to 4-5 orders of magnitude and magnetoresistance as high as -70% the latter even changing sign when voltage pulses are applied. This combination of phenomena is typically observed in multiferroic tunnel junctions where it is attributed to magnetoelectric coupling between a ferromagnet and a ferroelectric material. Modeling indicates that here the switching originates from a modification of the La$_{0.7}$Sr$_{0.3…
We demonstrate current-induced bipolar switching in in-plane magnetized spin-valve devices that incorporate a perpendicularly magnetized spin polarizing layer. Further, hysteretic transitions into a state with intermediate resistance occur at high currents, again for both current polarities. These transitions are shown to be consistent with a macrospin model that considers a spin-polarized current that is tilted with respect to the free layer plane, due to the presence of spin-transfer torque from the polarizing layer. These unique switching characteristics, which have their origin in the nonc…
We explore theoretically the spin transport in nanostructures consisting of a gold quantum dot bridging nonmagnetic electrodes and two Mn12-Ph single molecule magnets (SMMs) that are thiol-bonded to the dot but are not in direct contact with the electrodes. We find that reversal of the magnetic moment of either SMM by the application of a magnetic field leads to a large change in the resistance of the dot, i.e., a strong spin valve effect. We show that this phenomenon arises from a novel physical principle: The spin-dependent molecular orbitals that extend over the dot and both SMMs change dra…
We predict a new zero-bias anomaly in the differential conductance through a quantum dot coupled to two ferromagnetic leads with antiparallel magnetization. The anomaly differs in origin and properties from other anomalies in transport through quantum dots, such as the Kondo effect. It occurs in Coulomb-blockade valleys with an unpaired dot electron. It is a consequence of the interplay of single- and double-barrier cotunneling processes and their effect on the spin accumulation in the dot. The anomaly becomes significantly modified when a magnetic field is applied.
We discuss the electronic waiting-time distribution of a quantum-dot spin valve, i.e. a single-level quantum dot coupled to two ferromagnetic electrodes with magnetizations that can point in arbitrary directions. We demonstrate that the rich transport physics of this setup such as dynamical channel blockade and spin precession in an interaction-driven exchange field shows up in the waiting-time distribution and analyze the conditions necessary to observe the various effects.
We report on the importance of resonant-tunneling processes on quantum transport through interacting quantum-dot spin valves. To include Coulomb interaction in the calculation of the tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR), we reformulate and generalize the recently-developed, numerically-exact method of iterative summation of path integrals (ISPI) to account for spin-dependent tunneling. The ISPI scheme allows us to investigate weak to intermediate Coulomb interaction in a wide range of gate and bias voltage and down to temperatures at which a perturbative treatment of tunneling severely fails.
We report the free layer switching field distributions of spin-valve nanopillars with perpendicular magnetization. While the distributions are consistent with a thermal activation model, they show a strong asymmetry between the parallel to antiparallel and the reverse transition, with energy barriers more than 50% higher for the parallel to antiparallel transitions. The inhomogeneous dipolar field from the polarizer is demonstrated to be at the origin of this symmetry breaking. Interestingly, the symmetry is restored for devices with a lithographically defined notch pair removed from the midpo…
We develop a theory of electron transport through quantum dots that are weakly coupled to ferromagnetic leads. The theory covers both the linear and nonlinear transport regime, takes non-collinear magnetization of the leads into account, and allows for an externally-applied magnetic field. We derive generalized rate equations for the dot's occupation and accumulated spin and discuss the influence of the dot's spin on the transmission. A negative differential conductance and a nontrivial dependence of the conductance on the angle between the lead magnetizations is predicted.
Electrons in a quantum-dot spin valve, consisting of a single-level quantum dot coupled to two ferromagnetic leads with magnetizations pointing in arbitrary directions, experience an exchange field that is induced on the dot by the interplay of Coulomb interaction and quantum fluctuations. We show that a third, superconducting lead with large superconducting gap attached to the dot probes this exchange field very sensitively. In particular, we find striking signatures of the exchange field in the symmetric component of the supercurrent with respect to the bias voltage applied between the ferro…
Resonant tunneling of electrons between two ferromagnets and a quantum dot in the presence of an externally applied magnetic field reveals a strong gate dependence in the linear and nonlinear bias regime. This gate dependence originates from the interplay between Coulomb interactions and spin-dependent hybridization between the quantum dot and the leads. To take into account Coulomb interaction strengths of the same order of magnitude as the external magnetic field and the hybridization strength we adopt the numerically exact iterative summation of path integrals (ISPI).
Recently it has been predicted that a spin-polarized electrical current perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) directly flowing through a magnetic element can induce magnetization switching through spin-momentum transfer. In this letter, the first observation of current-induced magnetization switching (CIMS) in exchange-biased spin-valves (ESPVs) at room temperature is reported. The ESPVs show the CIMS behavior under a sweeping dc current with a very high critical current density. It is demonstrated that a thin Ruthenium (Ru) layer inserted between a free layer and a top electrode effectively reduces th…
We present a study of the pulsed current switching characteristics of spin-valve nanopillars with in-plane magnetized dilute permalloy and undiluted permalloy free layers in the ballistic regime at low temperature. The dilute permalloy free layer device switches much faster: the characteristic switching time for a permalloy free (Ni0.83Fe0.17) layer device is 1.18 ns, while that for a dilute permalloy ([Ni0.83Fe0.17]0.6Cu0.4) free layer device is 0.475 ns. A ballistic macrospin model can capture the data trends with a reduced spin torque asymmetry parameter, reduced spin polarization and incre…
We demonstrate gate control of electronic heat flow in a thermally-biased single-quantum-dot junction. Electron temperature maps taken in the immediate vicinity of the junction, as a function of the gate and bias voltages applied to the device, reveal clearly defined Coulomb diamond patterns revealing a maximum heat transfer right at the charge degeneracy point. The non-trivial bias and gate dependence of this heat valve results from both the quantum nature of the dot at the heart of device and its strong coupling to leads.
We explore thermoelectric spin transport and spin dependent phenomena in a non-collinear quantum dot spin valve set up. Using this set up, we demonstrate the possibility of a thermoelectric excitation of single spin dynamics inside the quantum dot. Many-body exchange fields generated on the single spins in this set up manifest as effective magnetic fields acting on the net spin accumulation in the quantum dot. We first identify generic conditions by which a zero bias spin accumulation in the dot may be created in the thermoelectric regime. The resulting spin accumulation is then shown to be su…
We study frequency-dependent current noise through a single-level quantum dot connected to ferromagnetic leads with non-collinear magnetization. We propose to use the frequency-dependent Fano factor as a tool to detect single-spin dynamics in the quantum dot. Spin precession due to an external magnetic and/or a many-body exchange field affects the Fano factor of the system in two ways. First, the tendency towards spin-selective bunching of the transmitted electrons is suppressed, which gives rise to a reduction of the low-frequency noise. Second, the noise spectrum displays a resonance at the …
We demonstrate an electric-field control of tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) effect in a semiconductor quantum-dot (QD) spin-valve device. By using ferromagnetic Ni nano-gap electrodes, we observe the Coulomb blockade oscillations at a small bias voltage. In the vicinity of the Coulomb blockade peak, the TMR effect is significantly modulated and even its sign is switched by changing the gate voltage, where the sign of the TMR value changes at the resonant condition.
The magnetization detection and switching of an ultrasmall Stoner nanograin in a non-local spin valve (NLSV) device is studied theoretically. With the help of the rate equations, a unified description can be presented on the same footing for the NLSV signal that reads out the magnetization, and for the switching process. The setup can be viewed as that the grain is connected to two non-magnetic leads via sequential tunneling. In one lead, the chemical potentials for spin-up and -down electrons are split due to the spin injection in the NLSV. This splitting (or the spin bias) is crucial to the …
We investigate transport through a single-level quantum dot coupled to noncollinearly magnetized ferromagnets in the presence of localized spins in either the tunnel barrier or on the quantum dot. For a spin embedded in the tunnel barrier, we find an interplay between current-induced switching of the spin, spin-dependent tunneling through the barrier and spin accumulation on the dot resulting in characteristic signals in the current. We, furthermore, find huge Fano factors due to random telegraph noise. For noncollinear geometries, an exchange field that depends on the impurity spin state lead…
We study the influence of spin waves on transport through a single-level quantum dot weakly coupled to ferromagnetic electrodes with noncollinear magnetizations. Side peaks appear in the differential conductance due to emission and absorption of spin waves. We, furthermore, investigate the nonequilibrium magnon distributions generated in the source and drain lead. In addition, we show how magnon-assisted tunneling can generate a fullly spin-polarized current without an applied transport voltage. We discuss the influence of spin waves on the current noise. Finally, we show how the magnonic cont…
We report time-resolved measurements of current-induced reversal of a free magnetic layer in Py/Cu/Py elliptical nanopillars at temperatures T = 4.2 K to 160 K. Comparison of the data to Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert macrospin simulations of the free layer switching yields numerical values for the spin torque and the Gilbert damping parameters as functions of T. The damping is strongly T-dependent, which we attribute to the antiferromagnetic pinning behavior of a thin permalloy oxide layer around the perimeter of the free layer. This adventitious antiferromagnetic pinning layer can have a major impa…
The effects of a weak microwave field in the magnetization dynamics driven by spin-transfer-torque in spin-valves with perpendicular materials have been systematically studied by means of full micromagnetic simulations. In the system we studied, depending on the working point (bias field and current) in the dynamical stability diagram, we observe either resonant switching and injection locking. The resonant switching, observed in the switching region, occurs when the field frequency is approaching the frequency of the main pre-switching mode giving rise to an asymmetric power distribution of t…
We study the electronic waiting time distributions (WTDs) in a non-interacting quantum dot spin valve by varying spin polarization and the noncollinear angle between the magnetizations of the leads using scattering matrix approach. Since the quantum dot spin valve involves two channels (spin up and down) in both the incoming and outgoing channels, we study three different kinds of WTDs, which are two-channel WTD, spin-resolved single-channel WTD and cross-channel WTD. We analyze the behaviors of WTDs in short times, correlated with the current behaviors for different spin polarizations and non…
A most fundamental and longstanding goal in spintronics is to electrically tune highly efficient spin injectors and detectors, preferably compatible with nanoscale electronics. Here, we demonstrate all these points using semiconductor quantum dots (QDs), individually spin-polarized by ferromagnetic split-gates (FSGs). As a proof of principle, we fabricated a double QD spin valve consisting of two weakly coupled semiconducting QDs in an InAs nanowire (NW), each with independent FSGs that can be magnetized in parallel or anti-parallel. In tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) experiments at zero ext…
Nanopillar spin valve devices are typically comprised of two ferromagnetic layers: a reference layer and a free layer whose magnetic orientation can be changed by both an external magnetic field and through the introduction of spin-polarized electric current. Here we report the continuous repeated switching behavior of both the reference and free layers of a perpendicular spin valve made of Co/Pd and Co/Ni multilayers that arises for sufficiently large DC currents. This periodic switching of the two layers produces an oscillating signal in the MHz regime but is only observed for one sign of th…
We provide a thermodynamically consistent description of energy, charge and spin transfers in a thermoelectric quantum-dot spin valve in the collinear configuration based on nonequilibrium Green's function and full counting statistics. We use the fluctuation theorem symmetry and the concept of entropy production to characterize the efficiency with which thermal gradients can transduce charges or spins against their chemical potentials, arbitrary far from equilibrium. Close to equilibrium, we recover the Onsager reciprocal relations and the connection to linear response notions of performance s…
Spin selective nature of spin-filter tunnel junctions can be integrated with conventional metallic ferromagnets to regulate spin polarized quasiparticles in superconducting devices. We report fabrication of pseudo spin-valve device made with a bilayer of nitride spin-filter tunnel barrier (DyN or GdN) and a transition metal ferromagnet (Co and Gd). We show resistance switching in these devices corresponding to parallel and antiparallel configuration of their mutual magnetization direction. With optimal deposition process partial nitridation of the Co layer can be achieved. The magnetically dea…
We propose a method for inducing magnetization reversal using an AC spin current polarized perpendicular to the equilibrium magnetization of the free magnetic layer. We show that the critical AC spin current is significantly smaller than the corresponding DC one. The effect is understood as a consequence of the underdamped nature of the spin-torque oscillators. It allows to use the kinetic inertia to overcome the residual energy barrier, rather than suppressing the latter by a large spin current. The effect is similar to a swing which may be set into high amplitude motion by a weak near-resona…
We report local and non-local measurements in pin-hole dominated mesoscopic multigraphene spin-valves. Local spin-valve measurements show spurious switching behavior in resistance during magnetic field sweeping similar to the signal observed due to spin-injection into multigraphene. The switching behavior has been explained in terms of local Hall effect due to thickness irregularity of the tunnel barrier. Local Hall effect appears due to large local magnetostatic field produced at the roughness in the AlO$_x$ tunnel barrier. The effect of this local Hall effect is found to reduce as temperatur…
We investigate the relation between thermal spin-transfer torque (TSTT) and the spin-dependent Seebeck effect (SDSE), which produces a spin current when a temperature gradient is applied across a metallic ferromagnet, in nanopillar metallic spin valves. Comparing its angular dependence (aSDSE) with the angle dependent magnetoresistance (aMR) measurements on the same device, we are able to verify that a small spin heat accumulation builds up in our devices. From the SDSE measurement and the observed current driven STT switching current of 0.8 mA in our spin valve devices, it was estimated that …
Electric-field control of magnetism via inverse magnetostrictive effect is an efficient path towards improving energy-efficient storage and sensing devices based on giant magnetoresistance effect. In this letter, we report on lateral electric-field driven strain-mediated modulation of magnetic properties in Co$/$Cu$/$Py pseudo spin valve grown on ferroelectric PMN-PT substrate. We show a decrease of the giant magnetoresistance ratio of the pseudo spin valve with increasing electric field, which is attributed to the deviation of the Co layer magnetization from the initial direction due to strai…
We propose a nanoscale device consisting of a double quantum dot with strong intra- and inter- dot Coulomb repulsions. In this design, the current can only flow through the lower dot, but is triggered by the gate-controlled occupancy of the upper dot. At low temperatures, our calculations predict the double dot to pass through a narrow Kondo regime, resulting in highly sensitive switching characteristics between three well-defined states : insulating, normal conduction and resonant conduction.
In this Letter we demonstrate that Permalloy (Py), a widely used Ni/Fe alloy, forms contacts to carbon nanotubes (CNTs) that meet the requirements for the injection and detection of spin-polarized currents in carbon-based spintronic devices. We establish the material quality and magnetization properties of Py strips in the shape of suitable electrical contacts and find a sharp magnetization switching tunable by geometry in the anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) of a single strip at cryogenic temperatures. In addition, we show that Py contacts couple strongly to CNTs, comparable to Pd contacts…
Strong correlation effects on electron transport through a spinless quantum dot are considered. When two single-particle levels in the quantum dot are degenerate, a conserved pseudospin degree of freedom appears for general tunneling matrix elements between the quantum dot and leads. Local fluctuations of the pseudospin in the quantum dot give rise to a pair of asymmetric conductance peaks near the center of a Coulomb valley. An exact relation to the population switching is provided.
In large magnetoresistance devices spin torque-induced changes in resistance can produce GHz current and voltage oscillations which can affect magnetization reversal. In addition, capacitive shunting in large resistance devices can further reduce the current, adversely affecting spin torque switching. Here, we simultaneously solve the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation with spin torque and the transmission line telegrapher's equations to study the effects of resistance feedback and capacitance on magnetization reversal of both spin valves and magnetic tunnel junctions. While for spin valves para…
The dynamics of the magnetic order parameters of ferromagnet/normal-metal/ferromagnet spin valves and isolated ferromagnets may be very different. We investigate the role of the nonequilibrium spin-current exchange between the ferromagnets in the magnetization precession and switching. We find a (low-temperature) critical current bias for a coherent current-induced magnetization excitation in spin valves, which unifies and generalizes previous ideas of Slonczewski and Berger. In the absence of an applied bias, the effect of the spin transfer can be expressed as magnetic--configuration-dependen…
Devices for nano- and molecular size electronics are currently a focus of research aimed at an efficient current rectification and switching. Current switching due to conformational changes in the molecules is slow, on the order of a few kHz. Fast switching on the order of 1 THz may be achieved, at least in principle, in a degenerate molecular quantum dot with strong coupling of electrons with vibrational excitations. We show that the mean-field approach fails to properly describe intrinsic molecular switching and present an exact solution to the problem.
Recent experiments have demonstrated a working cell suitable for implementing the Quantum-dot Cellular Automata (QCA) paradigm. These experiments have been performed using metal island clusters. The most promising approach to QCA operation involves quasi-adiabatically switching the cells. This has been analyzed extensively in gated semiconductor cells. Here we present a metal island cell structure that makes quasi-adiabatic switching possible. We show how this permits quasi-adiabatic clocking, and enables a pipelined architecture.
We have theoretically analyzed coherent nuclear-spin dynamics induced by electron transport through a quantum-dot spin valve. The hyperfine interaction between electron and nuclear spins in a quantum dot allows for the transfer of angular momentum from spin-polarized electrons injected from ferromagnetic or half-metal leads to the nuclear spin system under a finite voltage bias. Accounting for a local nuclear-spin dephasing process prevents the system from becoming stuck in collective dark states, allowing a large nuclear polarization to be built up in the long-time limit. After reaching a ste…
We measured the anomalous-Nernst effect and anisotropic magnetoresistive heating in a lateral multiterminal Permalloy/Copper spin valve using all-electrical lock-in measurements. To interpret the results, a three-dimensional thermoelectric finite-element-model is developed. Using this model, we extract the heat profile which we use to determine the anomalous Nernst coefficient of Permalloy Rn=0.13 and also determine the maximum angle of theta=8 degrees of the magnetization prior to the switching process when an opposing non-collinear 10$^{\circ}$ magnetic field is applied.
We study electronic transport through a ferromagnet normal-metal ferromagnet system and we investigate the effect of hyperfine interaction between electrons and nuclei in the normal-metal part. A switching of the magnetization directions of the ferromagnets causes nuclear spins to precess. We show that the effect of this precession on the current through the system is large enough to be observed in experiment.
A broad and a narrow level of a quantum dot connected to two external leads may swap their respective occupancies as a function of an external gate voltage. By mapping this problem onto a multi-flavored Coulomb-gas we show that such population switching is not abrupt. However, trying to measure it by adding a third electrostatically coupled lead may render this switching an abrupt first order quantum phase transition. This is related to the interplay of the Mahan mechanism versus the Anderson orthogonality catastrophe, in similitude to the Fermi edge singularity. A concrete setup for experimen…
We report an observation of spin-valve like hysteresis within a few atomic layers at a ferromagnetic interface. We use phonon spectroscopy of nanometer sized point contacts as an in-situ probe to study the mechanism of the effect. Distinct in energy phonon peaks for contacts with dissimilar nonmagnetic outer electrodes allow to localize the observed spin switching to the top or bottom interfaces for nanometer thin ferromagnetic layers. The mechanism consistent with our data is energetically distinct atomically thin surface spin layers that can form current or field driven surface spin-valves w…
Active manipulation of spin waves is essential for the development of magnon-based technologies. Here, we demonstrate programmable spin-wave filtering by resetting the spin structure of a pinned 90$^\circ$ Néel domain wall in a continuous CoFeB film with abrupt rotations of uniaxial magnetic anisotropy. Using phase-resolved micro-focused Brillouin light scattering and micromagnetic simulations, we show that broad 90$^\circ$ head-to-head or tail-to-tail magnetic domain walls are transparent to spin waves over a broad frequency range. In contrast, magnetic switching to a 90$^\circ$ head-to-tail …
We investigate effects of spin-orbit splitting on electronic transport in a spin valve consisting of a large quantum dot defined on a two-dimensional electron gas with two ferromagnetic contacts. In the presence of both structure inversion asymmetry (SIA) and bulk inversion asymmetry (BIA) a giant anisotropy in the spin-relaxation times has been predicted. We show how such an anisotropy affects the electronic transport properties such as the angular magnetoresistance and the spin-transfer torque. Counterintuitively, anisotropic spin-relaxation processes sometimes enhance the spin accumulation.
We propose a device acting as a spin valve which is based on a double quantum dot structure with parallel topology. Using the exact analytical solution for the noninteracting case we argue that, at a certain constellation of system parameters and externally applied fields, the electric current through the constriction can become almost fully spin-polarized. We discuss the influence of the coupling asymmetry, finite temperatures and interactions on the efficiency of the device and make predictions for the experimental realization of the effect.
We consider current-induced spin-transfer torque on an antiferromagnet in a dual spin-valve setup. It is demonstrated that a net magnetization may be induced in the AFM by partially or completely aligning the sublattice magnetizations via a current-induced spin-transfer torque. This effect occurs for current densities ranging below 10$^6$ A/cm$^2$. The direction of the induced magnetization in the AFM is shown to be efficiently controlled by means of the magnetic configuration of the spin-valve setup, with the anti-parallell configuration yielding the largest spin-transfer torque. Interestingl…
