Resonant magnetotunneling between normal and ferromagnetic electrodes in relation to the three-terminal spin transport

Abstract

The recently suggested mechanism [Y. Song and H. Dery, Phys. Rev. Lett. 113, 047205 (2014)] of the three-terminal spin transport is based on the resonant tunneling of electrons between ferromagnetic and normal electrodes via an impurity. The sensitivity of current to a weak external magnetic field stems from a spin blockade, which, in turn, is enabled by strong on-site repulsion. We demonstrate that this sensitivity exists even in the absence of repulsion when a single-particle description applies. Within this description, we calculate exactly the resonant-tunneling current between the electrodes. The mechanism of magnetoresistance, completely different from the spin blocking, has its origin in the interference of virtual tunneling amplitudes. Spin imbalance in ferromagnetic electrode is responsible for this interference and the resulting coupling of the Zeeman levels. This coupling also affects the current in the correlated regime.