Spin Electronics

1) Magnetoelectronics - positive magnetoresistance - negative magnetoresistance - anisotropic magnetoresistance - AMR (spin-orbit coupling and magnetic resistance) - Colossal magnetoresistance - CMR (manganates, Goodenough-Kanamori-Anderson rules, super and double exchange) - giant magnetoresistance - GMR (Oscillating exchange coupling, exchange anisotropy, artificial antiferromagnets, Intrinsic and extrinsic GMR) - Spin Valves - tunnel magnetoresistance - TMR (elastic tunneling through 1D barriers, conductor/ insulator /conductor, conductor/ insulator /superconductor contacts, ferromagnet / insulator / superconductor contacts, quasiparticles density of states in superconductors, density and spin polarization in ferromagnet ferromagnet / insulator / ferromagnet contacts and Julliere model, band structure effects, spin-filter) - Unusual magnetoresistance - EMR  2) spintronics - spin injection into semiconductors - spin-LEDs and spin-transistors 3) applications - XMR sensors - magnetoresistive read heads, hard drives - Magnetic Random Access Memory - MRAM 

After successful completion of this module, the student is able

1. to understand explain and compare magneto-Resisitive effects (anistrope magnetoresistance, colossal magnetoresistance, giant magnetoresistance, tunneling magnetoresistance)
2. to describe the magnetization and magnetoresistance curves of ferromagnetic layers and multilayers as a function of the magnetic field
3. to name elemental ferromagnets, some technically relevant soft and hard magnetic materials, as well as typical materials in magneto-electronic layer structures with the appropriate material parameters (Curie temperature, remanence, coercive field)
4. to calculate magnetoresistance effects with Boltzmann transport theory and tunneling theory in the one-dimensional limit
5. to describe ferromagnet / superconductor and ferromagnet / insulator / superconductor contacts 
6. to designate and analyze applications for magneto-resistive effects. 

No preconditions in addition to the requirements for the Master’s program in Physics.

Lecture, beamer and blackboard presentation, discussion

Übungsblätter, begleitende Internetseite

• R. Gross & A. Marx, Vorlesungsskript Spinelektronik, Walther-Meissner-Institut, Garching (2005).
• S. Blundell, Magnetism in Condensed Matter, Oxford University Press, New York (2001).
• R.C. O'Handley, Modern magnetic materials - principles and applications, Wiley, New York (2000)
• D.D. Awschalom, D. Loss, N. Samarth (eds.), Semiconductor Spintronics and Quantum Computation, Springer, Berlin (2002).
• S. Maekawa (ed.), Concepts in Spin Electronics, Oxford University Press, New York (2006).

In an oral exam the learning outcome is tested using comprehension questions and sample problems.

In accordance with §12 (8) APSO the exam can be done as a written test. In this case the time duration is 60 minutes.