Room-Temperature Spin Transport in Cd₃As₂.

Abstract

As the need for ever greater transistor density increases, the commensurate decrease in device size approaches the atomic limit, leading to increased energy loss and leakage currents, reducing energy efficiencies. Alternative state variables, such as electronic spin rather than electronic charge, have the potential to enable more energy-efficient and higher performance devices. These spintronic devices require materials capable of efficiently harnessing the electron spin. Here we show robust spin transport in Cd₃As₂ films up to room temperature. We demonstrate a nonlocal spin valve switch from this material, as well as inverse spin Hall effect measurements yielding spin Hall angles as high as θ_SH = 1.5 and spin diffusion lengths of 10-40 μm. Long spin-coherence lengths with efficient charge-to-spin conversion rates and coherent spin transport up to room temperature, as we show here in Cd₃As₂, are enabling steps toward realizing actual spintronic devices.