title: All-electric all-semiconductor spin field-effect transistors.
abstract: The spin field-effect transistor envisioned by Datta and Das opens a gateway to spin information processing. Although the coherent manipulation of electron spins in semiconductors is now possible, the realization of a functional spin field-effect transistor for information processing has yet to be achieved, owing to several fundamental challenges such as the low spin-injection efficiency due to resistance mismatch, spin relaxation and the spread of spin precession angles. Alternative spin transistor designs have therefore been proposed, but these differ from the field-effect transistor concept and require the use of optical or magnetic elements, which pose difficulties for incorporation into integrated circuits. Here, we present an all-electric and all-semiconductor spin field-effect transistor in which these obstacles are overcome by using two quantum point contacts as spin injectors and detectors. Distinct engineering architectures of spin-orbit coupling are exploited for the quantum point contacts and the central semiconductor channel to achieve complete control of the electron spins (spin injection, manipulation and detection) in a purely electrical manner. Such a device is compatible with large-scale integration and holds promise for future spintronic devices for information processing.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Pojen
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Chuang
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Sheng-Chin
authors.initials: SC
authors.lastname: Ho
authors.affiliation: Cavendish Laboratory, J.J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK.
authors.forename: L W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Smith
authors.affiliation: Cavendish Laboratory, J.J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sfigakis
authors.affiliation: Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering, University College London, London WC1E 7JE, UK.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pepper
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Chin-Hung
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Ju-Chun
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Fan
authors.affiliation: Cavendish Laboratory, J.J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK.
authors.forename: J P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Griffiths
authors.affiliation: Cavendish Laboratory, J.J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Farrer
authors.affiliation: Cavendish Laboratory, J.J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK.
authors.forename: H E
authors.initials: HE
authors.lastname: Beere
authors.affiliation: Cavendish Laboratory, J.J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK.
authors.forename: G A C
authors.initials: GA
authors.lastname: Jones
authors.affiliation: Cavendish Laboratory, J.J. Thomson Avenue, Cambridge CB3 0HE, UK.
authors.forename: D A
authors.initials: DA
authors.lastname: Ritchie
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics, National Cheng Kung University, Tainan 701, Taiwan.
authors.forename: Tse-Ming
authors.initials: TM
authors.lastname: Chen