Importance

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Abstract

A method of detecting spin polarization in a subject material comprises applying a potential difference across the subject material causing an electrical current to flow across the material, thereby inducing carrier polarization within the material in a direction perpendicular to the direction of current flow, carriers of one spin orientation concentrating at a first edge of the subject material and carriers of the opposite orientation concentrating at a second edge of the material, opposite to the first edge under the action of the Spin Hall Effect (SHE); allowing spin polarized carriers to tunnel into a ferromagnetic material from the subject material in at least a portion adjacent one of the first or second edges of the subject material; and measuring the tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) between the ferromagnetic material and the subject material at the first or second edge. An apparatus for analyzing carrier spin polarization comprises a subject material; means for applying an electric field to the subject material so as to induce a current to flow through the subject material, thereby inducing spin polarization of carriers at opposing first and second edges of the subject material in a direction perpendicular to the electric field under the action of the spin Hall effect (SHE); a ferromagnetic material in contact with at least a portion adjacent one of the first or second edges of the subject material; and means for measuring the tunneling magnetoresistance between the ferromagnetic material and the subject material at the first or second edge.

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First Claim