title: Evidence for spin selectivity of triplet pairs in superconducting spin valves.
abstract: Spin selectivity in a ferromagnet results from a difference in the density of up- and down-spin electrons at the Fermi energy as a consequence of which the scattering rates depend on the spin orientation of the electrons. This property is utilized in spintronics to control the flow of electrons by ferromagnets in a ferromagnet (F1)/normal metal (N)/ferromagnet (F2) spin valve, where F1 acts as the polarizer and F2 the analyser. The feasibility of superconducting spintronics depends on the spin sensitivity of ferromagnets to the spin of the equal spin-triplet Cooper pairs, which arise in superconductor (S)-ferromagnet (F) heterostructures with magnetic inhomogeneity at the S-F interface. Here we report a critical temperature dependence on magnetic configuration in current-in-plane F-S-F spin valves with a holmium spin mixer at the S-F interface providing evidence of a spin selectivity of the ferromagnets to the spin of the triplet Cooper pairs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS, UK.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Banerjee
authors.affiliation: Huygens Laboratory, Leiden University, PO Box 9504, 2300 RA Leiden, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: C B
authors.initials: CB
authors.lastname: Smiet
authors.affiliation: MESA+ Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, 7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: R G J
authors.initials: RG
authors.lastname: Smits
authors.affiliation: Centro de Física de Materiales (CFM-MPC), Centro Mixto CSIC-UPV/EHU, Manuel de Lardizabal 4, E-20018 San Sebastián, Spain.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ozaeta
authors.affiliation: Centro de Física de Materiales (CFM-MPC), Centro Mixto CSIC-UPV/EHU, Manuel de Lardizabal 4, E-20018 San Sebastián, Spain.
authors.forename: F S
authors.initials: FS
authors.lastname: Bergeret
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS, UK.
authors.forename: M G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Blamire
authors.affiliation: Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, 27 Charles Babbage Road, Cambridge CB3 0FS, UK.
authors.forename: J W A
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Robinson