Electrically tunable spin diode effect in a tunneling junction of quantum dot

Control over the tunneling current in spintronic devices by electrical methods is an interesting topic, which is experiencing a burst of activity. In this paper, we theoretically investigate the transport property of electrons in a spin-diode structure consisting of a single quantum dot(QD) weakly coupled to one nonmagnetic(NM) and one half-metallic ferromagnet(HFM) leads, in which the QD has an artificial atomic nature. By modulating the gate voltage applied on the dot, we observe a pronounced decrease in the current for one bias direction. We show that this rectification is spin-dependent, which stems from the interplay between the spin accumulation and the Coulomb blockade on the quantum dot. The degree of such spin diode behavior is fully and precisely tunable using the gate and bias voltages. The present device can be realized within current technologies and has potential application in molecular spintronics and quantum information processing.

Magnetic-field-controlled spin valve and spin memory based on single-molecule magnets

A single-molecule magnet is a long-sought-after nanoscale component because it can enable us to miniaturize nonvolatile memory storage devices.The signature of a single-molecule magnet is switching between two bistable magnetic ground states under an external magnetic field.Based on this feature,we theoretically investigate a magnetic-fieldcontrolled reversible resistance change active at low temperatures in a molecular magnetic tunnel junction,which consists of a single-molecule magnet sandwiched between a ferromagnetic electrode and a normal metal electrode.Our numerical results demonstrate that the molecular magnetism orientation can be manipulated by magnetic fields to be parallel/antiparallel to the ferromagnetic electrode magnetization.Moreover,different magnetic configurations can be“read out”based on different resistance states or different spin polarization parameters in the current spectrum,even in the absence of a magnetic field.Such an external magnetic field-controlled resistance state switching effect is similar to that in traditional spin valve devices.The difference between the two systems is that one of the ferromagnetic layers in the original device has been replaced by a magnetic molecule.This proposed scheme provides the possibility of better control of the spin freedom of electrons in molecular electrical devices,with potential applications in future high-density nonvolatile memory devices.