Electrical control of ferromagnetic state

Leonid P. Rokhinson, Purdue University, Birck Nanotechnology Center
Mason Overby, Purdue University
Alexandr Chernyshov, Purdue University
Yuli Lyanda-Geller, Purdue University, Birck Nanotechnology Center
Xinyu Liu, University of Notre Dame
Jacek K. Furdyna, University of Notre Dame

Abstract

We report experiments where magnetization in GaMnAs ferromagnetic semiconductor is manipulated via strain or electric current. In both cases, charge carrier holes become partially polarized due to the anisotropic modification of holes spectra caused by spin-orbit interactions, and this polarization exerts spin torque sufficient to rotate ferromagnetic domains. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Discipline(s)

Nanoscience and Nanotechnology