The past few decades of research and development in solid-state semicon ductor physics and electronics have witnessed a rapid growth in the drive to exploit quantum mechanics in the design and function of semiconductor devices. This has been fueled for instance by the remarkable advances in our ability to fabricate nanostructures such as quantum wells, quantum wires and quantum dots. Despite this contemporary focus on semiconductor "quantum devices," a principal quantum mechanical aspect of the electron - its spin has it accounts for an added quan largely been ignored (except in as much as tum mechanical degeneracy). In recent years, however, a new paradigm of electronics based on the spin degree of freedom of the electron has begun to emerge. This field of semiconductor "spintronics" (spin transport electron ics or spin-based electronics) places electron spin rather than charge at the very center of interest. The underlying basis for this new electronics is the intimate connection between the charge and spin degrees of freedom of the electron via the Pauli principle. A crucial implication of this relationship is that spin effects can often be accessed through the orbital properties of the electron in the solid state. Examples for this are optical measurements of the spin state based on the Faraday effect and spin-dependent transport measure ments such as giant magneto-resistance (GMR). In this manner, information can be encoded in not only the electron's charge but also in its spin state, i. e.

Semiconductor Spintronics, as an emerging research discipline and an important advanced field in physics, has developed quickly and obtained fruitful results in recent decades. This volume is the first monograph summarizing the physical foundation and the experimental results obtained in this field. With the culmination of the authors'' extensive working experiences, this book presents the developing history of semiconductor spintronics, its basic concepts and theories, experimental results, and the prospected future development. This unique book intends to provide a systematic and modern foundation for semiconductor spintronics aimed at researchers, professors, post-doctorates, and graduate students, and to help them master the overall knowledge of spintronics.a

Semiconductor Spintronics, as an emerging research discipline and an important advanced field in physics, has developed quickly and obtained fruitful results in recent decades. This volume is the first monograph summarizing the physical foundation and the experimental results obtained in this field. With the culmination of the authors' extensive working experiences, this book presents the developing history of semiconductor spintronics, its basic concepts and theories, experimental results, and the prospected future development. This unique book intends to provide a systematic and modern foundation for semiconductor spintronics aimed at researchers, professors, post-doctorates, and graduate students, and to help them master the overall knowledge of spintronics.

This revised and expanded edition of the first comprehensive introduction to the rapidly-evolving field of spintronics covers ferromagnetism in nano-electrodes, spin injection, spin manipulation, and the practical use of these effects in next-generation electronics. Moreover, the book now also includes spin-based optics, topological materials and insulators, and the quantum spin Hall effect.

Recently, a new branch of physics and nanotechnology called The aim of this book is tod, which aims at simultaneously present new directions in the development of spin electronics in both the basic physics and the technologywhich will become the foundation of future electronics.ich will become the foundation of future electronics.

For 50 years conventional electronics has ignored the electron spin. The manipulation and utilisation of the electron spin heralds an exciting and rapidly changing era in electronics, combining the disciplines of magnetism and traditional electronics. The first generation of "spintronic" devices (such as read heads based on giant magnetoresistance or non-volatile magnetic random access memories) have already gained dominant positions in the market place. This volume, the first of its kind on spin electronics describes all the essential topics for new researchers entering the field. It covers magnetism and semiconductor basics, micromagnetism, experimental techniques, materials science, device fabrication and new developments in spin-dependent processes. At the end of most chapters are a number of exercises and worked problems to aid the reader in understanding this fascinating new field.

This second edition of the book presents spintronic properties of III–V nitride semiconductors. As wide bandgap III-nitride nanostructures are relatively new materials, the book pays particular attention to the difference between zinc-blende GaAs- and wurtzite GaN-based structures where the Rashba spin–orbit interaction plays a crucial role in voltage-controlled spin engineering. It also deals with topological insulators and discusses electrically driven zero-magnetic-field spin-splitting of surface electrons with respect to the specifics of electron-localized spin interaction and voltage-controlled ferromagnetism. It describes the recently identified zero-gap state—an anomalous quantum semimetal. The book comprises calculation of topological indexes in semiconductor and semimetal phases. It compares results that follow from the low-energy model and the Bernevig–Huges–Zhang model, which accounts for the full-Brillouin-zone electron spectrum. It also discusses the fractional quantization of Hall conductance and performs the direct calculation of Chern numbers for the inverted GaN/InN quantum well, determining topological properties by Chern number |C |=2. The book explores and actively discusses semiconductor spintronics and proposes various device implementations along the way. Although writings on this topic appear in the current literature, this book is focused on the materials science side of the question, providing a theoretical background for the most common concepts of spin-electron physics. It covers generic topics in spintronics without entering into device specifics since its aim is to give instructions to be used in solving problems of a general and specific nature. It is intended for graduate students and will serve as an introductory course in this specific field of solid state theory and applications.

Semiconductor spintronics is expected to lead to a new generation of transistors, lasers and integrated magnetic sensors that can be used to create ultra-low power, high speed memory, logic and photonic devices. Useful spintronic devices will need materials with practical magnetic ordering temperatures and current research points to gallium and aluminium nitride magnetic superconductors as having great potential. This book details current research into the properties of III-nitride semiconductors and their usefulness in novel devices such as spin-polarized light emitters, spin field effect transistors, integrated sensors and high temperature electronics. Written by three leading researchers in nitride semiconductors, the book provides an excellent introduction to gallium nitride technology and will be of interest to all reseachers and industrial practitioners wishing to keep up to date with developments that may lead to the next generation of transistors, lasers and integrated magnetic sensors.

This book provides an in-depth review of the rapidly developing field of spintronic semiconductors. It covers a broad range of topics, including growth and basic physical properties of diluted magnetic semiconductors based on II-VI, III-V and IV semiconductors, recent developments in theory and experimental techniques and potential device applications; its aim is to provide postgraduate students, researchers and engineers a comprehensive overview of our present knowledge and future perspectives of spintronic semiconductors.

Spintronics is an emerging technology exploiting the spin degree of freedom and has proved to be very promising for new types of fast electronic devices. Amongst the anticipated advantages of spintronics technologies, researchers have identified the non-volatile storage of data with high density and low energy consumption as particularly relevant. This monograph examines the concept of half-metallic compounds perspectives to obtain novel solutions and discusses several oxides such as perovskites, double perovskites and CrO2 as well as Heusler compounds. Such materials can be designed and made with high spin polarization and, especially in the case of Heusler compounds, many material-related problems present in current-day 3d metal systems, can be overcome. Spintronics: From Materials to Devices provides an insight into the current research on Heusler compounds and offers a general understanding of structure–property relationships, including the influence of disorder and correlations on the electronic structure and interfaces. Spintronics devices such as magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) and giant magnetoresistance (GMR) devices, with current perpendicular to the plane, in which Co2 based Heusler compounds are used as new electrode materials, are also introduced. From materials design by theoretical methods and the preparation and properties of the materials to the production of thin films and devices, this monograph represents a valuable guide to both novices and experts in the fields of Chemistry, Physics, and Materials Science.