Abstract
Electrical injection from the Heusler alloy into (Al,Ga)As is investigated for different growth temperatures of the injector layer. Depending on , the spin polarization of injected electrons in the semiconductor is determined by two competing mechanisms: actual spin injection at the interface and ultrafast spin alignment in the (Al,Ga)As layer. This layer is strongly affected by the thermally activated diffusion of Co, Fe, and Si during the growth of the layers. Despite the electrical compensation and magnetic transformation in the underlying semiconductor structure, a spin-injection efficiency of at least 50% is achieved as deduced from the analysis of electroluminescence and time-resolved photoluminescence data.
- Received 24 July 2008
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.78.121303
©2008 American Physical Society
Synopsis
Spin injection with half-metals: A perfect match
Published 22 September 2008
The efficient injection of polarized spins from magnetic materials into semiconductors, a prerequisite for spintronics applications, is a formidable challenge. With ferromagnetic it is now possible to achieve a spin injection efficiency of close to 50%.
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