Spin switch and spin amplifier: magnetic bipolar transistor in the saturation regime

The concept of a magnetic bipolar transistor (MBT) is introduced. The transistor has at least one magnetic region (emitter, base, or collector) characterized by spin-splitting of the carrier bands. In addition, nonequilibrium (source) spin in MBTs can be induced by external means (electrically or optically). The theory of ideal MBTs is developed and discussed in the forward active regime where the transistors can amplify signals. It is shown that source spin can be injected f...

The magnetic bipolar transistor (MBT) is a bipolar junction transistor with an equilibrium and nonequilibrium spin (magnetization) in the emitter, base, or collector. The low-injection theory of spin-polarized transport through MBTs and of a more general case of an array of magnetic {\it p-n} junctions is developed and illustrated on several important cases. Two main physical phenomena are discussed: electrical spin injection and spin control of current amplification (magneto...

A magnetic bipolar transistor is a bipolar junction transistor with one or more magnetic regions, and/or with an externally injected nonequilibrium (source) spin. It is shown that electrical spin injection through the transistor is possible in the forward active regime. It is predicted that the current amplification of the transistor can be tuned by spin.

We extend the analogy between charge-based bipolar semiconductor electronics and spin-based unipolar electronics by considering unipolar spin transistors with different equilibrium spin splittings in the emitter, base, and collector. The current of base majority spin electrons to the collector limits the performance of ``homojunction'' unipolar spin transistors, in which the emitter, base, and collector all are made from the same magnetic material. This current is very simila...

The equivalent electrical circuit of the Ebers-Moll type is introduced for magnetic bipolar transistors. In addition to conventional diodes and current sources, the new circuit comprises two novel elements due to spin-charge coupling. A classification scheme of the operating modes of magnetic bipolar transistors in the low bias regime is presented.

A current problem in semiconductor spin-based electronics is the difficulty of experimentally expressing the effect of spin-polarized current in electrical circuit measurements. We present a theoretical solution with the principle of transference of the spin diffusion effects in the semiconductor channel of a system with three magnetic terminals. A notable result of technological consequences is the room temperature amplification of the magneto-resistive effect, integrable wi...

Unipolar devices constructed from ferromagnetic semiconducting materials with variable magnetization direction are shown theoretically to behave very similarly to nonmagnetic bipolar devices such as the p-n diode and the bipolar (junction) transistor. Such devices may be applicable for magnetic sensing, nonvolatile memory, and reprogrammable logic.

Scheme and principle of operation of a spin gain transistor are proposed: a large unmagnetized current creates density sufficient for the ferromagnetic transition; a small magnetized current initiates spontaneous magnetization; large magnetized current is extracted. Therefore spin gain of more than 1000 is predicted. Collective dynamics of spins under Coulomb exchange interaction is described via Semiconductor Bloch Equations.

The temperature dependence of magneto current in the spin spin valve transistor system is theoretically explored based on phenomenological model. We find that the collector current strongly depends on the relative orientation of magnetic moment of ferromagnetic metals due to spin mixing effect. For example, the collector current is decreasing in the parallel case with increasing temperature, and it is increasing in anti-parallel configuration. We then obtain decreasing magn...

In an inhomogeneously doped magnetic semiconductor, an interplay between an equilibrium magnetization and injected nonequilibrium spin leads to the spin-voltaic effect--a spin analogue of the photo-voltaic effect. By reversing either the sign of the equilibrium magnetization or the direction of injected spin polarization it is possible to switch the direction of charge current in a closed circuit or, alternatively, to switch the sign of the induced open-circuit voltage. Prope...