Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Spintronics: Sources and Challenge. Personal Perspective

  • Published:
Journal of Superconductivity Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Spintronics emerged very recently as a quickly developing interdisciplinary field in the framework of solid-state physics with tempting technological perspectives. This promise is based on the active involvement of the electron spin, side by side with its charge, in the operation of nanometer scale electronic devices. It is a remarkable feature of spintronics that it is growing coherently from several different fields of solid-state physics (semiconductor physics, magnetism, superconductivity, etc.) and involves a multiplicity of rather diversified phenomena. This unique property of spintronics makes it a fascinating field for research and applications but also creates a challenge for researchers. In this short note, I concentrate on the physical background of spintronics and some historical roots of it but avoid making specific prognosis about technological applications.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

REFERENCES

  1. S. A. Wolf, D.Treger, and A. Chtchelkanova, Ind. Physicist 7(3), 33 (2001); S. A.Wolf, J.Supercond. 13, 195 (2000).

    Google Scholar 

  2. P. Grünberg, Phys.Today 54(5), 31 (2001).

    Google Scholar 

  3. D. D. Awschalom and J. M. Kikkawa, Phys.Today 52(6), 33 (1999).

    Google Scholar 

  4. G. A. Prinz, Science 282, 1660 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  5. H. Ohno, Science 281, 951 (1998).

    Google Scholar 

  6. S. Das Sarma, J. Fabian, X. Hu, and I. Zutic, Solid State Commun. 119, 207 (2001).

    Google Scholar 

  7. L. D. Landau and E. M. Lifshitz, Phys.Zs.Sowjet. 9, 477 (1936).

    Google Scholar 

  8. M. Johnson, Phys.Rev.Lett. 70, 2142 (1993).

    Google Scholar 

  9. E. K. Zavoisky, J.Phys.USSR 9, 245 (1945).

    Google Scholar 

  10. G. Dresselhaus, Phys.Rev. 100, 580 (1955).

    Google Scholar 

  11. E. I. Rashba, Sov.Phys.Solid State 2, 1109 (1960).

    Google Scholar 

  12. I. I. Boiko and E. I. Rashba, Sov.Phys.Solid State 2, 1692 (1960).

    Google Scholar 

  13. R. C. Casella, Phys.Rev.Lett. 5, 371 (1960).

    Google Scholar 

  14. R. L. Bell, Phys.Rev.Lett. 9, 52 (1962).

    Google Scholar 

  15. B. D. McCombe, S. G. Bishop, and R. Kaplan, Phys.Rev.Lett. 18, 748 (1967).

    Google Scholar 

  16. V. I. Sheka, Sov.Phys.Solid State 6, 2470 (1965); Y. Yafet, in Solid State Physics, Vol.14, F. Seitz and D. Turnbull, eds. (Academic Press, New York, 1963), p. 1.

    Google Scholar 

  17. W. S. Boyle and G. E. Smith, Offic.Gazette 770, 1007 (1961); E. I. Rashba, Sov.Phys.Solid State 6, 2538 (1965).

    Google Scholar 

  18. S. R. J. Brueck and A. Mooradian, Appl.Phys.Lett. 18, 229 (1971).

    Google Scholar 

  19. P. A. Wolff, Phys.Rev.Lett. 16, 225 (1966); Y. Yafet, Phys.Rev. 152, 858 (1966).

    Google Scholar 

  20. E. M. Gershenson, N. M. Pevin, and M. S. Fogel'son, Sov.Phys.JETP Lett. 12, 139 (1970).

    Google Scholar 

  21. V. I. Mel'nikov and E. I. Rashba, Sov.Phys.JETP 34, 1353 (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  22. E. I. Rashba and V. I. Sheka, in Landau Level Spectroscopy, G. Landwehr and E. I. Rashba, eds. (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1991), p. 131.

    Google Scholar 

  23. H. G. Häfele, in Landau Level Spectroscopy, G. Landwehr and E. I. Rashba, eds. (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1991), p. 207.

    Google Scholar 

  24. D. G. Seiler and A. E. Stephens, in Landau Level Spectroscopy, G. Landwehr and E. I. Rashba, eds. (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1991), p. 1031.

    Google Scholar 

  25. G. Lampel, Phys.Rev.Lett. 20, 491 (1968).

    Google Scholar 

  26. M. I. D'yakonov and V. I. Perel', Sov.Phys.Solid State 13, 3023 (1972).

    Google Scholar 

  27. G. L. Bir, A. G. Aronov, and G. E. Pikus, Sov.Phys.JETP 42, 705 (1975).

    Google Scholar 

  28. G. E. Pikus and E. L. Ivchenko, in Excitons, E. I. Rashba and M. Sturge, eds. (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1982), p. 205.

    Google Scholar 

  29. F. Meier and B. P. Zakharchenya, eds., Optical Orientation (North-Holland, Amsterdam, 1984).

    Google Scholar 

  30. A. G. Aronov and G. E. Pikus, Fiz.Tech.Poluprovodn. 10, 1177 (1976).

    Google Scholar 

  31. M. Johnson and R. H. Silsbee, Phys.Rev.Lett. 55, 1790 (1985).

    Google Scholar 

  32. D. Stein, K. von Klitzing, and G. Weimann, Phys.Rev.Lett. 51, 130 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  33. H. L. Stormer, Z. Schlesinger, A. Chang, D. C. Tsui, A. C. Gossard, and W. Wiegmann, Phys.Rev.Lett. 51, 126 (1983).

    Google Scholar 

  34. Yu. A. Bychkov and E. I. Rashba, Sov.Phys.JETP Lett. 39, 78 (1984).

    Google Scholar 

  35. E. L. Ivchenko and G. E. Pikus, Superlattices and Other Heterostructures, 2nd edn. (Springer, Berlin, 1997).

    Google Scholar 

  36. B. Das, D. C. Miller, S. Datta, R. Reifenberger, W. P. Hong, P. K. Bhattacharya, J. Singh, and M. Jaffe, Phys.Rev.B 39, 1411 (1989); R. Wollrab, R. Sizmann, F. Koch, J. Ziegler, and H. Maier, Semicond.Sci.Technol. 4, 491 (1989); J. Luo, H. Munekata, F. F. Fang, and P. J. Stiles, Phys.Rev.B 41, 7685 (1990).

    Google Scholar 

  37. S. Datta and B. Das, Appl.Phys.Lett. 56, 665 (1990).

    Google Scholar 

  38. M. Schultz, F. Heinrichs, U. Merkt, T. Colin, T. Skauli, and S. Lovold, Semicond.Sci.Technol. 11, 1168 (1996); J. Nitta, T. Akazaki, H. Takayanagi, and T. Enoki, Phys.Rev.Lett. 78, 1335 (1997); Y. Sato, T. Kita, S. Gozu, and S. Yamada, J.Appl.Phys. 89, 8017 (2001), and references therein.

    Google Scholar 

  39. S. V. Iordanskii, Yu. B. Lyanda-Geller, and G. E. Pikus, JETP Lett. 60, 206 (1994).

    Google Scholar 

  40. W. Knap, C. Skierbiszewski, A. Zduniak, E. Litwin-Staszewska, D. Bertho, F. Kobbi, J. L. Robert, G. E. Pikus, F. G. Pikus, S. V. Iordanskii, V. Mosser, K. Zekentes, and Yu. B. Lyanda-Geller, Phys.Rev.B 53, 3912 (1996); T. Hassenkam, S. Pedersen, K. Baklanov, A. Kristensen, C. B. Sorensen, and P. E. Lindelof, F. G. Pikus, and G. E. Pikus, Phys.Rev.B 55, 9298 (1997).

    Google Scholar 

  41. B. Jusserand, D. Richards, G. Allan, C. Priester, and B. Etienne, Phys.Rev.B 51, 4707 (1995).

    Google Scholar 

  42. Yu. A. Bychkov, V. I. Mel'nikov, and E. I. Rashba, Sov.Phys.JETP 71, 401 (1990).

    Google Scholar 

  43. R.Winkler, S. J. Papadakis, E. P. De Poortere, and M. Shayegan, Phys.Rev.Lett. 84, 713 (2000).

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Physics, The State University of New York at Buffalo, Buffalo, New York, 14260. Department of Physics, MIT, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139

    Emmanuel I. Rashba

Authors
  1. Emmanuel I. Rashba
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rashba, E.I. Spintronics: Sources and Challenge. Personal Perspective. Journal of Superconductivity 15, 13–17 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014066808432

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1023/A:1014066808432

Search

Navigation