A Magnetic-Field-Effect Transistor and Spin Transport

Appl. Phys. Lett. 83, No. 22 (2003) A magnetic-field-effect transistor is proposed that generates a spin-polarized current and exhibits a giant negative magnetoresitance. The device consists of a nonmagnetic conducting channel (wire or strip) wrapped, or sandwiched, by a grounded magnetic shell. The process underlying the operation of the device is the withdrawal of one of the spin components from the channel, and its dissipation through the grounded boundaries of the magnetic shell, resulting in a spin-polarized current in the nonmagnetic channel. The device may generate an almost fully spin-polarized current, and a giant negative magnetoresistance effect is predicted.