Integrating Spintronics with Conventional Semiconductor Devices through Exchange Interaction

The field of spintronics often requires one to be able to read and write spin information in an efficient way. Conventionally, writing is performed by putting strong magnetic fields whereas spin detection relies on various resonance techniques. Both these methods suffer from spatial resolution, technological incompatibility and lack of integrability. Here, we show that by utilizing the exchange interaction between the conduction electrons and a spin array, it is possible to devise an all-electrical scheme such that one can both read and write information from and to a spin array. This method could enable one to merge semiconductor based electronics with metal based magneto-electronics leading to a whole new class of devices.