SpinON

SPIN selection by resONant tunneling at the interface.

Welcome to the web page of a research project funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research for the period from 01.05.2016 to 31.03.2017.

We have identified an important and not yet comprehensibly addressed phenomenon of enhancement of spin injection efficiency through ferromagnet (FM) /semiconductor (SM) interfaces by so called surface states. The nature of the states might be linked to matching of Fermi surfaces in k-space between the metal and semiconductor which we are going to investigate using the resonant tunneling phenomena.

The Hamburg group will grow metal-semiconductor structures by means of MBE deposition. The samples will be characterized. Parts of the samples will be sent to Madrid for detailed electrical characterization. Spin and charge transport properties of the structures will be measured at temperatures between 4.2 K and room temperature. In these experiments magnetic fields up to 14 T will be applied parallel as well as perpendicular to the interfaces. Rzeszów group will model the electrical properties of the interfaces and provide feedback for optimization of the interface states in the structures.