Spin injection and spin manipulation in Silicon-Germanium heterostructures with ferromagnetic Mn5Si3Cx- and Mn5Ge3Cx-electrodes

• Applicants: Professorin Dr. Inga Fischer; Dr. Christoph Sürgers
• Subject Area: Electronic Semiconductors, Components and Circuits, Integrated Systems, Sensor Technology, Theoretical Electrical Engineering
• Term: from 2016 to 2020
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 270270483

This proposal is aimed at demonstrating spin injection, spin detection and spin manipulation in a CMOS-compatible device, and thus, demonstrating the basic functionality which is necessary to realize spintronic devices.The C-doped Mn5Si3- and Mn5Ge3 alloys have Curie temperatures of 350 K and 450 K, respectively, and are suitable for use as ferromagnetic electrodes in Si- and Ge-based heterostructures for potentially CMOS-compatible spintronic devices. This proposal, therefore, aims at investigating spin injection in Ge- and Si-heterostructures via Mn5Si3- and Mn5Ge3-contacts. We plan to investigate the electrical detection of spin injection by means of the Hanle effect as well as optical detection of spin injection by detecting circularly polarized light that results from recombination of spin-polarized charge carriers. We intend to carry out research on spin manipulation by means of electric fields generated by gate electrodes. Finally, we plan to investigate the spin Seebeck effect for possible applications in spin caloritronics in the Si/Ge material system.This interdisciplinary project is intended to be carried out by two groups at neighboring locations (Institute for Semiconductor Engineering, University of Stuttgart (IHT-US), and Physikalisches Institut, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (PI-KIT)) that have the necessary expertise in semiconductor technology and engineering (IHT-US) as well as electronic transport in thin films (PI-KIT).

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr.-Ing. Jörg Schulze