Article | REF: E2135 V2

Spintronics - Principles and applications of spin electronics

Authors: Jean-Philippe ATTANÉ, Manuel BIBES, Laurent VILA

Publication date: June 10, 2022

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ABSTRACT

This article deals with spin electronics, or spintronics, which is based not only on the charge of the electron, as in conventional electronics, but also on its spin. On the one hand, the electrical characteristics of a device depend on the magnetization states of its components, mainly via magnetoresistance effects. On the other hand, injecting current into a device allows controlling magnetic properties such as the magnetization direction, via spin transfer effects. These properties are the basis for the development of spintronic devices, in particular memories and sensors.

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AUTHORS

  • Jean-Philippe ATTANÉ: Senior Lecturer - Grenoble Alpes University, CEA, CNRS, Grenoble INP, Spintec, Grenoble, France

  • Manuel BIBES: Research Director - Unité Mixte de Physique, CNRS, Thales, Université Paris-Saclay, Palaiseau, France

  • Laurent VILA: CEA Engineer - Grenoble Alpes University, CEA, CNRS, Grenoble INP, Spintec, Grenoble, France

 INTRODUCTION

The development of thin-film deposition and lithography techniques has made it possible to create electronic devices that take advantage not only of the electron's charge, but also of its spin, to obtain new and additional functionalities. The combination of magnetic materials and metallic, semiconducting or insulating materials in nano-scale structures has given rise to a new generation of components and a new discipline: spin electronics, or spintronics. Spin transport is dependent on the magnetization direction of magnetic nanoelements, generating magnetoresistance effects, i.e. conductivity dependence on magnetization direction and/or applied magnetic field. These effects make it possible to produce highly sensitive sensors, in particular magnetic field sensors. In addition, it is possible to develop data storage or manipulation devices, in particular by exploiting the magnetization state as a variable, and spin transfer effects to reverse the magnetization. Finally, the use of spin-orbit effects enables efficient spin manipulation, possibly in the absence of any ferromagnetic element.

In this article, we present the thin films and nanostructures used in spin electronics (§ 1 ), in which various effects appear: magnetoresistances (§ 2 ), spin transfer (§ 3 ) or spin-orbit effects (§ ...

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KEYWORDS

sensors   |   magnetism   |   spintronics   |   memories


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