Ballistic Electrons in Ferromagnet/Semiconductor Hybrid Structures: From Nanomagnetometry to Spin Injection |
| D. Grundler Institut für Angewandte Physik und Zentrum für Mikrostrukturforschung Universität Hamburg, Jungiusstr. 11, 20355 Hamburg, Germany |
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| We review our recent experimental and theoretical studies on ferromagnet/semiconductor hybrid structures and discuss the role of ballistic electrons in such systems. We focus in particular on two peculiar features: first, ballistic electrons in semiconductors are shown to be in particular sensitive to local details of an inhomogeneous stray field. We argue that this can preferentially be used for nanomagnetometry. Second, we show theoretically that, in case of the injection of ballistic electrons from a metallic ferromagnet into a semiconductor, a spin-dependent interface resistance arises due to band-structure mismatch that causes spin filtering at the interface. Recent band-structure calculations suggest that for an epitaxial interface a nearly 100% spin-polarized current might be generated in a spin-injection experiment. |
| DOI: 10.12693/APhysPolA.102.529 PACS numbers: 72.25.Hg, 72.25.Mk, 72.25.Dc, 73.23.Ad, 73.40.Sx, 75.60.Ej |