Spintronic devices in germanium—at room temperature

We could one day see electronic components that combine electric and magnetic currents. A Grenoble-based team of researchers from INAC, UJF, Crocus, CNRS, and Thales has just made a step toward this potential breakthrough. The researchers injected spin-polarized electrons into germanium, a material compatible with microelectronics applications, at room temperature. They used a tunnel junction made from a magnetic material and magnesium oxide.
Silicon could not be used for this experiment since its physical properties make manipulating the spin current difficult. With germanium, the spin current remains polarized over distances of greater than 1 micron, making it a viable option. The researchers are now looking at designing a nanosystem using charge and spin. Their findings were published in Physical Review Letters.

Contact: matthieu.jamet@cea.fr

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