Spin-neutral currents for spintronics.

ABSTRACT: Electric currents carrying a net spin polarization are widely used in spintronics, whereas globally spin-neutral currents are expected to play no role in spin-dependent phenomena. Here we show that, in contrast to this common expectation, spin-independent conductance in compensated antiferromagnets and normal metals can be efficiently exploited in spintronics, provided their magnetic space group symmetry supports a non-spin-degenerate Fermi surface. Due to their momentum-dependent spin polarization, such antiferromagnets can be used as active elements in antiferromagnetic tunnel junctions (AFMTJs) and produce a giant tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) effect. Using RuO₂ as a representative compensated antiferromagnet exhibiting spin-independent conductance along the [001] directi

SUBMITTER: Shao DF 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8642435 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Dec

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature