| AVS 63rd International Symposium & Exhibition | |
| Thin Film | Tuesday Sessions |
| Session TF+SA+MI-TuM |
| Session: | Thin Films for Synchrotron and Magnetism Applications |
| Presenter: | Yossi Paltiel, The Hebrew University, Israel |
| Authors: | Y. Paltiel, The Hebrew University, Israel R. Naaman, The Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel |
| Correspondent: | Click to Email |
The high level of energy dissipation associated with the present semiconductor-based integrated-circuit technology limits the operating frequency of the devices. Therefore there is interest in new concepts that may solve this problem. One such concept that attracts considerable attention nowadays combines spins with electronics (spintronics). In principle, the application of spintronics should result in reducing power consumption of electronic devices and efficiency should be closer to the thermodynamic limit.
Two major issues complicate the use of spintronics; material problems and the inefficiency in producing spin-polarized current. Spintronics devices usually require the use of complicated structures of magnetic material layers and the need for permanent magnetic layers puts constrains on the miniaturization of these devices. In addition, high currents are required to produce highly polarized spin current which results in induced heating.
We present a new concept in which spin current is produced by using the spin selectivity in electron transport through chiral molecules, termed Chiral-Induced Spin Selectivity (CISS). The CISS effect allows realization of simple local and power efficient spintronics devices. Studying the CISS effect, we found that chiral molecules, especially helical ones, can serve as very efficient spin filters at room temperature, with no need for a permanent magnetic layer. Recently, by utilizing this effect we demonstrated a simple magnetless spin based magnetic memory. Moreover, we show that when chiral molecules are adsorbed on the surface of thin ferromagnetic film, they induce magnetization perpendicular to the surface, without the application of current or external magnetic field.
The CISS-based spintronics technology has the potential to overcome the limitations of other magnetic-based memory technologies and to facilitate the fabrication of inexpensive, high-density memory and other spintronics elements.