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In the main frame of the PAX (Polarized Antiproton eXperiments) collaboration, which engaged the challenging purpose of polarizing antiproton beams, the possibility to have H or D polarized targets requires a daily switchable source and its diagnostics: mainly change is a dual cavity tunable for H and D. The commissioning of PAX has been fullfilled, for the transverse case, on the COSY (COoler SYnchrotron) proton ring, achieving milestones on spin–dependent cross–section measurements. Now the longitudinal case could provide sensitive polarization results. An H or D source allows the exploration of the spin–filtering process with a deuterium polarized target, and opens new chances for testing Time Reversal Invariance at COSY (TRIC).

We consider a quantum graph consisting of a ring with the Rashba Hamiltonian and an arbitrary number of semi-infinite wires attached. We describe the scattering matrix for this system and investigate spin filtering for a three-terminal device.

We study theoretically transport properties of two-dimensional electron gases through antiparallel magnetic-electric barrier structures. Two kinds of magnetic barrier configurations are employed: one is that the strength of the double δ-function in opposite directions is equal and the other is that the strength is unequal. Similarities and differences of electronic transports are presented. It is found that the transmission and the conductance depend strongly on the shape of the magnetic barrier and the height of the electric barrier. The results indicate that this system does not possess any spin filtering and spin polarization and electron gases can realize perfect resonant tunneling and wave-vector filtering properties. Moreover, the strength of the effect of the inhomogeneous magnetic field on the transport properties is discussed.

The high physics potential of experiments with stored polarized antiprotons led to the proposal of the PAX [1] experiment (Polarized Antiproton eXperiment) for the High Energy Storage Ring (HESR) of the new FAIR facility at GSI (Darmstadt/Germany). It is proposed to polarize a stored antiproton beam by means of spin filtering by a polarized hydrogen gas target. The feasibility of spin filtering with protons using a transversely polarized hydrogen gas target has been demonstrated in the FILTEX experiment [2] and recently confirmed at the COSY ring in Julich. A spin filtering experiment using a longitudinally polarized hydrogen gas target is planned after the installation of a siberian snake in 2014. Further measurements including the investigation of pd-breakup reactions [3] and a test of the time reversal (TRIC) [4] are planned using the developed experimental setup. A proposal for a spin-filtering experiment with antiprotons at AD/CERN [5] has been submitted to the CERN SPS comitee to investigate the spin-dependence of the pbar-p and pbar-d interaction. This knowledge is necessary to properly design a dedicated Antiproton-Polarizer Ring.

We examine zero-magnetic-field spin-dependent transmission in nonmagnetic semiconductor heterostructures with structural inversion asymmetry (SIA) and bulk inversion asymmetry (BIA), and report spin devices concepts that exploit their properties. Our modeling results show that several design strategies could be used to achieve high spin filtering efficiencies. The current spin polarization of these devices is electrically controllable, and potentially amenable to high-speed spin modulation, and could be integrated in optoelectronic devices for added functionality.

We theoretically analyse the spin-dependent tunnelling through an array of δ-magnetic barriers and give a set of general recursive relations. Using the recursive relations we analyse spin transmissions and polarizations under the constraint of counterbalancing the vector potentials with an electric potential controlled by gate voltages. After the theoretical and numerical analysis, we find that the polarization of the current vanishes when the magnetic barriers' orientations are in a particular pattern. Also we give a set of explicit expressions for the orientations. Then we demonstrate the physical properties of the orientations and their applications for the spin-filtering effect.

We present first-principle spin-dependent quantum transport calculations in a molecular device constructed by one single-molecule magnet Mn(dmit)2 and two graphene nanoribbon electrodes. Our results show that the device could generate perfect spin-filtering performance in a certain bias range both in the parallel configuration (PC) and the antiparallel configuration (APC). At the same time, a magnetoresistance effect, up to a high value of 103%, can be realized. Moreover, visible negative differential resistance phenomenon is obtained for the spin-up current of the PC. These results suggest that our one-dimensional molecular device is a promising candidate for multi-functional spintronics devices.

Widespread application of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) for information storage has so far been limited by the complicated interplay between tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) ratio and the product of resistance and junction area (RA). An intricate connection exists between TMR ratio, $RA$ value and the bandgap and crystal structure of the barrier, a connection that must be unravelled to optimise device performance and enable further applications to be developed. Here, we demonstrate a novel method to tailor the bandgap of an ultrathin, epitaxial Zn-doped MgO tunnel barrier with rocksalt structure. This structure is attractive due to its good Δ_1 spin filtering effect, and we show that MTJs based on tunable MgZnO barriers allow effective balancing of TMR ratio and $RA$ value. In this way spin-dependent transport properties can be controlled, a key challenge for the development of spintronic devices.

International audience; The effect of hyperfine interaction on the room-temperature defect-enabled spin filtering effect in GaAsN alloys is experimentally investigated and theoretically interpreted through a master equation approach based on the hyperfine and Zeeman interaction between electron and nuclear spin of the Ga2+i interstitial spin filtering defect. We show that the nuclear spin polarization of the gallium defect can be tuned through the optically induced spin polarization of conduction band electrons.

Several techniques were proposed to achieve solid state spin filtering such as magnetic tunnel junctions comprised of half-metallic compounds or solid state Stern-Gerlach apparatus. Another alternative consists in using spin-dependent resonant tunneling through magnetically active quantum wells. Recent advances in molecular beam epitaxial growth made it possible to fabricate exotic heterostructures comprised of magnetic films or buried layers (ErAs, GaxMn1-xAs) integrated with conventional semiconductors (GaAs) and to explore quantum transport in these heterostructures. It is particularly interesting to study spin-dependent resonant tunneling in double-barrier resonant tunneling diodes (RTD) with magnetic elements such as GaAs/AlAs/ErAs/AlAs/ErAs/AlAs/GaAs, GaxMn1-xAs/AlAs/GaAs/AlAs/GaAs, and GaAs/AlAs/GaxMn1-xAs/AlAs/GaAs. We present the results of our theoretical studies and computer simulations of transmission coefficients and current-voltage characteristics of resonant tunneling diodes based on these double-barrier structures. Resonant tunneling of holes (GaxMn1-xAs-based RTDs) is considered. Our approach is based on k·p perturbation theory with exchange splitting effects taken into account. We analyze exchange splitting of different resonant channels as a function of magnetization as well as spin polarization of the transmitted current as a function of bias. We found that resonant tunneling I – V characteristics of the double-barrier magnetic hererostructures strongly depend on the doping level in the emitter as well as on the orientation of the magnetization.

We identify hyperfine-induced electron and nuclear spin cross-relaxation as the dominant physical mechanism for the longitudinal electron spin relaxation time (T-1) of the spin-filtering Ga-i(2+) defects in GaNAs alloys. This conclusion is based on our experimental findings that T-1 is insensitive to temperature over 4-300 K, and its exact value is directly correlated with the hyperfine coupling strength of the defects that varies between different configurations of the Ga-i(2+) defects present in the alloys. These results thus provide a guideline for further improvements of the spin-filtering efficiency by optimizing growth and processing conditions to preferably incorporate the Ga-i(2+) defects with a weak hyperfine interaction and by searching for new spin-filtering defects with zero nuclear spin.

In the challenging aim to achieve polarized antiproton, the PAX collaboration performed dedicated measurements of the spin-dependent polarizing cross section for p-p scattering at COSY. The result, under a very nice control of the process, agrees with the theoretical previsions, and confirms the pursuability of the spin-filtering for polarizing antiprotons.

Physical review / Special topics / Accelerators and beams 18(2), 020101 (2015). doi:10.1103/PhysRevSTAB.18.020101, Published by American Physical Society, {[S.l.]

A spin filtering effect has been evidenced in epitaxial MnFe${}_{2}$O${}_{4}$ tunnel barriers directly by Meservey-Tedrow experiments. The asymmetry of the Zeeman-split tunneling conductance curves of the superconducting Al spin analyzer in Pt(111)/MnFe${}_{2}$O${}_{4}$(111)/\ensuremath{\gamma}-Al${}_{2}$O${}_{3}$(111)/Al tunnel junctions revealed a positive spin-polarization (up to +9$%$), proving the potential of manganese ferrite for generation of a spin-polarized current. A negatively polarized spin filtering being expected theoretically, different mechanisms are discussed to explain both sign and amplitude of the measured spin-polarization.

The effect of hyperfine interaction (HFI) on the recently discovered room-temperature defect-enabled spin-filtering effect in GaNAs alloys is investigated both experimentally and theoretically based on a spin Hamiltonian analysis. We provide direct experimental evidence that the HFI between the electron and nuclear spin of the central Ga atom of the spin-filtering defect, namely, the Ga-i interstitials, causes strong mixing of the electron spin states of the defect, thereby degrading the efficiency of the spin-filtering effect. We also show that the HFI-induced spin mixing can be suppressed by an application of a longitudinal magnetic field such that the electronic Zeeman interaction overcomes the HFI, leading to well-defined electron spin states beneficial to the spin-filtering effect. The results provide a guideline for further optimization of the defect-engineered spin-filtering effect. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.87.125202 Funding Agencies|Linkoping University through the professor contract, Swedish Research Council|621-2011-4254|Linkoping University through the professor contract Swedish Energy Agency||Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation

In an earlier paper [Phys. Rev. B 84, 035323 (2011)], we proposed a spin filter which was based on a diamond-like interferometer, subject to both an Aharonov-Bohm flux and (Rashba and Dresselhaus) spin-orbit interactions. Here we show that the full polarization of the outgoing electron spins remains the same even when one allows leakage of electrons from the branches of the interferometer. Once the gate voltage on one of the branches is tuned to achieve an effective symmetry between them, this polarization can be controlled by the electric and/or magnetic fields which determine the spin-orbit interaction strength and the Aharonov-Bohm flux., 9 pages, 4 figures

Departamento de Fisica e Quimica Universidade Estadual Paulista, Ilha Solteira, Sao Paulo 15385-000

We study the transport properties in double quantum dots asymmetrically coupled to leads in magnetic field. We focus on the situation in which the second dot (QD2) couples with the leads with a weak hybridization function. The results shows that by tuning the energy level [Formula: see text] of QD2 one can control the conductance and its spin polarization of the system. In the absence of magnetic field [Formula: see text], with increasing [Formula: see text], the conductance shows a dip structure. This behavior of conductance results from a continuous triplet–doublet quantum phase transition. In the presence of magnetic field [Formula: see text], we obtain a perfect spin filtering with a fully-polarized conductance of up-spin or down-spin.

The purpose of this paper is to give a brief review and trace the present-day perspectives to exploit the spin–orbit interaction in conventional nonmagnetic semiconductor nanostructures. We demonstrate theoretically that the structures can be used to design basic elements of highspeed spintronic devices. In particular we discuss spin filtering, spin-dependent confinement, and scattering in all-semiconductor nanostructures.

Perpendicular transport through single- and double-barrier heterostructures consisting of ferromagnetic EuS layers embedded into PbS matrix was investigated. Manifestations of both resonant tunneling and spin filtering through EuS barrier have been observed.

We study the quantum phase transition (QPT) and electronic transport in triple quantum dots for a wide range of the gate voltage ϵ. We focus on the effect of the interdot repulsion V and the magnetic field B. In the case of particle-hole (p-h) symmetry and B = 0, we find the local quadruplet-doublet transition of first order when V increases to a critical point V(c) ≈ U, where U is the on-site repulsion. Beyond the p-h symmetry, the sequence of the QPTs depends on ϵ. For small ϵ, a first order doublet-singlet transition is observed. For middle ϵ, we find the quadruplet-triplet transition of first order at V(c1) and the triplet-singlet transition of the Kosterlitz-Thouless type at V(c2). For large ϵ, there are two kinds of first order QPT with phase sequence quadruplet-triplet-doublet. The magnetic field B compensates for the effect of V. For V > U, as B increases we find a first order or second order QPT from a low-spin state to a high-spin state. The restoring of the Kondo effect and a perfect spin filtering is realized in the appropriate regime of the magnetic field.

Spin-filter tunneling is a promising way to create highly-spin-polarized currents. So far the understanding of the spin-filtering effect has been limited to a free-electron description based on the spin-dependent tunneling barrier height. In this work we explore the complex of EuO as a representative ferromagnetic insulator used in spin-filter tunneling experiments and show that the mechanism of spin filtering is more intricate than it has been previously thought. We demonstrate the importance of the multiorbital band structure with an indirect band gap for spin-filter tunneling. By analyzing the symmetry of the complex bands and the decay rates for different wave vectors and energies we draw conclusions about spin-filter efficiency of EuO. Our results provide guidelines for the design of spin-filter tunnel junctions with enhanced spin polarization.

We discuss recent experimental results from RHIC where the flat transverse momentum dependence of a single-spin asymmetry has been found in inclusive production of neutral pions. This dependence takes place in a wide region of the transverse momenta up to $p_T=10$ GeV/c. We emphasize that similar dependence has been predicted in the nonperturbative spin filtering mechanism for the single-spin asymmetries in hadron interactions and present some implications for this mechanism from the new experimental data., Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, revised and extended version: one figure and several equations have been added, textual modifications. arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:0811.3862

The ballistic spin-filter effect from a ferromagnetic metal into a semiconductor has theoretically been studied with an intention of detecting the spin polarizability of density of states in FM layer at a higher energy level. The physical model for the ballistic spin filtering across the interface between ferromagnetic metals and semiconductor superlattice is developed by exciting the spin polarized electrons into n-type AlAs/GaAs superlattice layer at a much higher energy level and then ballistically tunneling through the barrier into the ferromagnetic film. Since both the helicity-modulated and static photocurrent responses are experimentally measurable quantities, the physical quantity of interest, the relative asymmetry of spin-polarized tunneling conductance, could be extracted experimentally in a more straightforward way, as compared with previous models. The present physical model serves guidance for studying spin detection with advanced performance in the future., Comment: 7 pages, 3 figures

In ferromagnet/semiconductor contacts, the different timescales of the phenomena driving the spin transport in the semiconductor induce a strong reduction of the possible spin filtering effect. We propose an original structure with double contacts to overcome this difficulty. Using Monte Carlo simulation, we show that the spin asymmetry of the current collected in such a structure may be significantly higher than in a single contact.

A magnetic "spin filter" tunnel barrier, sandwiched between a non-magnetic metal and a magnetic metal, is used to create a new magnetoresistive tunnel device, somewhat analogous to an optical polarizer-analyzer configuration. The resistance of these trilayer structures depends on the relative magnetization orientation of the spin filter and the ferromagnetic electrode. The spin filtering in this configuration yields a previously unobserved magnetoresistance effect, exceeding 100%., Comment: 3.5 pages, 3 figures, submitted to Appl. Phys. Lett

Spin-dependent electronic transport properties of Fe-terminated zig-zag graphene nanoribbons (zGNR) have been studied using first-principles transport simulations. The spin configuration of proposed zGNR junction can be controlled with external magnetic field, and the tunneling junction show MR>1000 at small bias and is a perfect spin-filter by applying uniform external magnetic filed at small bias., 3 pages, 4 figures, accepted by Appl. Phys. Lett

We investigate the spin-resolved electron dynamics in a double quantum dot driven by ultrafast asymmetric electromagnetic pulses. Using a analytical model we show that applying an appropriate pulse sequence allows to control coherently the spin degree of freedom on the femtosecond time scale. It can be achieved that the spin-up state is localized in a selected quantum dot while the spin-down state remains in the other dot. We show that this photo-induced spin-dependent separation can be maintained for a desired period of time., shortened, revised version 2 article published at Appl. Phys. Lett

Effects of hydrogen on the recently discovered defect-engineered spin filtering in GaNAs are investigated by optical spin orientation and optically detected magnetic resonance. Post-growth hydrogen treatments are shown to lead to nearly complete quenching of the room-temperature spin-filtering effect in both GaNAs epilayers and GaNAs/GaAs multiple quantum wells, accompanied by a reduction in concentrations of Ga(i) interstitial defects. Our finding provides strong evidence for efficient hydrogen passivation of these spin-filtering defects, likely via formation of complexes between Gai defects and hydrogen, as being responsible for the Observed strong suppression of the spin-filtering effect after the hydrogen treatments.

A new type of blockade effect - spin-orbit blockade (SOB) - is found in the conduction of a quantum dot (QD) made of a material with spin-orbit interaction. The blockade arises from spin-filtering effect in a quantum point contact (QPC), which is a component of the QD. Hence the appearance of the blockade itself evidences the spin-filtering effect in the QPC. The lower bound of filtering efficiency is estimated to be above 80%., Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures

In this letter, we have clarified that there is no spin polarization and spin filtering in a magnetic barrier structure as well as in a magnetic–electric barrier structure using our explicit expressions for electron transmission probability. Our results are found to be contradictory to those of A. Majumdar [Phys. Rev. B 54, 11911 (1996)] and G. Papp and F. M. Peeters [Appl. Phys. Lett. 78, 2184 (2001)]. We have shown the significant spin polarization and spin filtering observed by these authors were caused by a mistake in their transmission probability.

In epitaxial heterostructures combining strongly correlated manganese oxides with antiferromagnetic-insulator or half-metallic character, a large interfacial moment is found and used to produce a spin-filter-like behavior in all-manganite tunnel junctions. The results suggest that after playing a key role in exchange-bias for spin-valves, uncompensated moments at engineered antiferromagnetic interfaces represent a novel route for generating highly spin-polarized currents with antiferromagnets., Z. S. acknowledges financial support from Universidad Complutense de Madrid and M. J. C. from the Ramon y Cajal Program. This work was supported by the Spanish Ministry for Science and Education programs MAT 2005-06024, MAT2008 06517, FIS2009-08744 and CONSOLIDER INGENIO 2010 CSD2009-00013 (IMAGINE), CAM under PHAMA grant S2009/Mat-1756, and the Reseau Thematique de Recherche Avancee "Triangle de la Physique"., et al.

Magnetic and spin-polarized transport properties in zigzag-edged graphene nanoflakes were investigated from first-principles calculations. Ferrimagnetic structure was found to be the ground state for triangular shaped graphene flakes. Magnetism is weakened by doping B or N atoms into the flakes, and it is enhanced if F atoms are doped in certain sublattices of the flakes. The magnetic properties can be rationalized by the behaviors of dopants as well as interactions between dopants and the host atoms. A perfect (100%) spin filtering effect was achieved for the pure or B doped graphene flake sandwiched between two gold electrodes. The orientation of the spin current is found to be flipped if the flake is doped with N, O, or F atoms. The orientation-tunable spin filtering effect is potentially useful in practical applications.

We have performed point-contact spectroscopy measurements on a sample constituted by a metallic ferromagnetic oxide $({\text{SrRuO}}_{3})$ bottom electrode and a tunnel ferrimagnetic $({\text{CoFe}}_{2}{\text{O}}_{4})$ barrier. Andreev reflection is observed across the tunnel barrier. From the comparison of Andreev reflection in ${\text{SrRuO}}_{3}$ and across the ${\text{CoFe}}_{2}{\text{O}}_{4}$ barrier we infer that the ferrimagnetic barrier has a spin filter efficiency not larger than $+13\mathrm{%}$. The observation of a moderate and positive spin filtering is discussed in the context of the microstructure of the barriers and symmetry-related spin-filtering effects.

International audience; We calculate the current-voltage characteristic of a one-dimensional band insulator with magnetic field and Rashba spin-orbit coupling which is connected to nonmagnetic leads. Without spin-orbit coupling we find a complete spin-filtering effect, meaning that the electric transport occurs in one spin channel only. For a large magnetic field which closes the band gap, we show that spin-orbit coupling leads to a transition from metallic to insulating behavior. The oscillations of the different spin-components of the current with the length of the transport channel are studied as well.

We theoretically study electronic transport through a layer of quantum dots connecting two metallic leads. By the inclusion of an inductor in series with the junction, we show that steady electronic transport in such a system may be unstable with respect to temporal oscillations caused by an interplay between the Coulomb blockade of tunneling and spin accumulation in the dots. When this instability occurs, a new stable regime is reached, where the average spin and charge in the dots oscillate periodically in time. The frequency of these oscillations is typically on the order of 1 GHz for realistic values of the junction parameters.

Molecular spintronics has received extensive interest in recent years. Due to their favorable properties such as long spin coherence lengths and an amenability to fine-tuning via chemical substituents, organic materials play a prominent role in this field. Here we discuss how organic radicals may act as spin filters in the coherent tunneling regime and how they may be tuned to filter either majority- or minority-spin electrons by adding electron-donating or -withdrawing substituents. For a set of benzene-based model systems, we identify dips in the spin-resolved transmission, which may be caused by destructive interference, as a desirable feature when aiming for efficient spin filtering. Furthermore, the qualitative predictions made for our model systems are shown to be transferable to larger stable radicals.

Date of Conference: 3-8 Jan. 2010 We study the effect of Rashba spin-orbit coupling on the spin interference in a non-interacting one-dimensional ring connected to two lead theoretically within the non-equilibrium Greens' function formalism. We compute the charge and spin currents and analyze their Aharonov-Bohm oscillations. The geometry of the system is conveniently described by the angle δ between the two leads. We show that for δ=180° (i.e for symmetrically coupled leads) a good tutering of up or down spin orientation is obtained around half-integer multiples of Φ/Φ0. These particular flux values correspond to degeneracy points for clockwise and counter-clockwise propagating state related to the same spin orientation in the local spin frame of the ring. In contrast, for the asymmetric coupling, i.e., δ=135° the filter efficiency is maximum around integer multiples of Φ/Φ0. The numerical results suggest that the spin filtering is obtained when the clockwise or counter-clockwise states interfere destructively. The spin filtering regime is stable against variations of the bias applied on the system. ©2010 IEEE.

Effectiveness of the recently discovered defect-engineered spin-filtering effect is closely examined in GaNAs/GaAs multiquantum wells (QWs) as a function of QW width. In spite of narrow well widths of 3-9 nm, rather efficient spin filtering is achieved at room temperature. It leads to electron spin polarization larger than 18% and an increase in photoluminescence intensity by 65% in the 9 nm wide QWs. A weaker spin filtering effect is observed in the narrower QWs, mainly due to a reduced sheet concentration of spin-filtering defects (e.g., Ga-i interstitial defects).