title: The magnetoelectrochemical switch.
abstract: In the field of spintronics, the archetype solid-state two-terminal device is the spin valve, where the resistance is controlled by the magnetization configuration. We show here how this concept of spin-dependent switch can be extended to magnetic electrodes in solution, by magnetic control of their chemical environment. Appropriate nanoscale design allows a huge enhancement of the magnetic force field experienced by paramagnetic molecular species in solutions, which changes between repulsive and attractive on changing the electrodes' magnetic orientations. Specifically, the field gradient force created within a sub-100-nm-sized nanogap separating two magnetic electrodes can be reversed by changing the orientation of the electrodes' magnetization relative to the current flowing between the electrodes. This can result in a breaking or making of an electric nanocontact, with a change of resistance by a factor of up to 10(3). The results reveal how an external field can impact chemical equilibrium in the vicinity of nanoscale magnetic circuits.
authors.affiliation: Département Science et Analyse des Matériaux, Centre de Recherche Public Gabriel Lippmann, L-4422 Belvaux, Luxembourg;
authors.forename: Petru Lunca
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Popa
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, University of Hull, Kingston-upon-Hull HU6 7RX, United Kingdom;
authors.forename: Neil T
authors.initials: NT
authors.lastname: Kemp
authors.affiliation: Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS) and Laboratory of Nanostructures in Interaction with their Environment (NIE), University of Strasbourg, UMR 7504 CNRS-UdS, 67034 Strasbourg, France; and.
authors.forename: Hicham
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Majjad
authors.affiliation: Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS) and Laboratory of Nanostructures in Interaction with their Environment (NIE), University of Strasbourg, UMR 7504 CNRS-UdS, 67034 Strasbourg, France; and.
authors.forename: Guillaume
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Dalmas
authors.affiliation: Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS) and Laboratory of Nanostructures in Interaction with their Environment (NIE), University of Strasbourg, UMR 7504 CNRS-UdS, 67034 Strasbourg, France; and.
authors.forename: Vina
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Faramarzi
authors.affiliation: Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS) and Laboratory of Nanostructures in Interaction with their Environment (NIE), University of Strasbourg, UMR 7504 CNRS-UdS, 67034 Strasbourg, France; andPeter Grünberg Institut, Forschungszentrum Jülich GmbH, 52428 Jülich, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Andreas
authors.affiliation: Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS) and Laboratory of Nanostructures in Interaction with their Environment (NIE), University of Strasbourg, UMR 7504 CNRS-UdS, 67034 Strasbourg, France; and.
authors.forename: Riccardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hertel
authors.affiliation: Institut de Physique et Chimie des Matériaux de Strasbourg (IPCMS) and Laboratory of Nanostructures in Interaction with their Environment (NIE), University of Strasbourg, UMR 7504 CNRS-UdS, 67034 Strasbourg, France; and bdoudin@unistra.fr.
authors.forename: Bernard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Doudin
keywords: electrochemistry; magnetohydrodynamics; supramolecular chemistry