Abstract
The use of carrier spin in semiconductors is a promising route towards new device functionality and performance. Ferromagnetic semiconductors (FMSs) are promising materials in this effort. An n-type FMS that can be epitaxially grown on a common device substrate is especially attractive. Here, we report electrical injection of spin-polarized electrons from an n-type FMS, CdCr2Se4, into an AlGaAs/GaAs-based light-emitting diode structure. An analysis of the electroluminescence polarization based on quantum selection rules provides a direct measure of the sign and magnitude of the injected electron spin polarization. The sign reflects minority rather than majority spin injection, consistent with our density-functional-theory calculations of the CdCr2Se4 conduction-band edge. This approach confirms the exchange-split band structure and spin-polarized carrier population of an FMS, and demonstrates a litmus test for these FMS hallmarks that discriminates against spurious contributions from magnetic precipitates.
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Acknowledgements
This work was supported by ONR (N0001404WX20052), the DARPA Spins in Semiconductors program (K920/00), NSF (ECS0224225), and core programs at the Naval Research Laboratory.
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Kioseoglou, G., Hanbicki, A., Sullivan, J. et al. Electrical spin injection from an n-type ferromagnetic semiconductor into a III–V device heterostructure. Nature Mater 3, 799–803 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat1239
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat1239
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