Spintronics and Novel Magnetic Materials for Advanced Spintronics

Abstract

This chapter contains both the description of advanced spintronic devices for logic and memory applications and the synthesis and characterization of some new magnetic materials that would lead to new paradigms in spintronics. The first part gives a brief introduction to spintronics and its history. First-generation spintronics has entered the mainstream of information technology through its utilization of the magnetic tunnel junction in applicable devices such as read head sensors for hard disk drives and magnetic random access memory. We also discuss the conceptual spintronic devices, including spin torque transfer random access memory, spin-polarized field-effect transistor, and spin-based qubit quantum processor, and their potential impacts on information technology. The future of spintronic devices requires next-generation spintronic materials. The second part of the chapter is dedicated to the synthesis and characterization of some novel magnetic materials, including ferromagnetic oxides and diluted magnetic Group IV semiconductors.