Room-temperature spin transport in n-Ge probed by four-terminal nonlocal measurements

Abstract

We demonsrtate electrical spin injection and detection in $n$-type Ge ($n$-Ge) at room temperature using four-terminal nonlocal spin-valve and Hanle-effect measurements in lateral spin-valve (LSV) devices with Heusler-alloy Schottky tunnel contacts. The spin diffusion length ($\lambda$${}_{\mathrm{Ge}}$) of the Ge layer used ($n\sim$ 1 $\times$ 10${}^{19}$ cm${}^{-3}$) at 296 K is estimated to be $\sim$ 0.44 $\pm$ 0.02 $\mu$m. Room-temperature spin signals can be observed reproducibly at the low bias voltage range ($\le$ 0.7 V) for LSVs with relatively low resistance-area product ($RA$) values ($\le$ 1 k$\Omega$$\mu$m${}^2$). This means that the Schottky tunnel contacts used here are more suitable than ferromagnet/MgO tunnel contacts ($RA\ge$ 100 k$\Omega$$\mu$m${}^2$) for developing Ge spintronic applications.

11 pages, 3 figures

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