Electron space charge effect on spin injection into semiconductors

Abstract

We consider spin polarized transport in a ferromagnet-insulator/semiconductor/insulator-ferromagnet (F1-I-S-I-F2) junction. We find that the spin current is strongly dependent on the spin configurations, the doping and space charge distribution in the semiconductor. When the ferromagnet-semiconductor interface resistance is comparable to the semiconductor resistance, the magnetoresistance ratio of this junction can be greatly enhanced under appropriate doping when the space charge effect in the nonequilibrium transport processes is taken into consideration.

4 pages, 3 figures, accepted for publication by Phys. Rev. B