Spintronics

Investigations of the dynamics of spin-polarized electronic current through and near materials with spin-dependent electronic structures have created a rich new field dubbed spintronics. The implications of spintronics research extend deep into the realm of fundamental material properties, yet spintronics applications have also revolutionized the magnetic-storage industry by providing efficient room-temperature magnetic sensors. Control of nonequilibrium spin-polarized populations of electrons through and near magnets has led to the dominance of linear (resistive) spintronic devices for magnetic readout in commercial magnetic storage. Rapid progress in understanding the fundamental physics of nonlinear spin-polarized electronic transport in metals and semiconductors suggests new applications for spintronic devices in fast nonvolatile memory as well as logic devices, with or without magnetic materials or magnetic fields. Ongoing study of the interaction between such spintronic elements and optical fields, particularly in semiconductors, promises the future development of optical spintronic devices.