Hanle spin precession in a two-terminal lateral spin valve

Abstract

Spin voltages due to Hanle spin precession in a two-terminal (2T) device, composed of a silicon channel and two ferromagnetic tunnel contacts (Fe/MgO), are observed and explained. The 2T Hanle signals contain not only contributions due to spin transport from one electrode to the other but also local contributions from the spin accumulation in the Si created and detected at each of the two contacts separately. Consequently, the salient features of the 2T Hanle signals differ from those in nonlocal devices and the familiar correspondence between Hanle and spin-valve signals is absent. The local and transport contributions to the 2T Hanle signal can be disentangled and described by the same set of device parameters as the nonlocal Hanle signals.