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Updated: Nov 25, 2025

Developing High Performance GaP/Si Heterojunction Solar Cells
Published on: November 16, 2018
Photovoltaic modulation of ferromagnetism within a FM metal/P-N junction Si heterostructure
Yifan Zhao1, Shishun Zhao, Lei Wang
1Electronic Materials Research Laboratory, Key Laboratory of the Ministry of Education & International Center for Dielectric Research, School of Electronic and Information Engineering, and State Key Laboratory for Mechanical Behavior of Materials, the International Joint Laboratory for Micro/Nano Manufacturing and Measurement Technology, Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an 710049, China. mingliu@xjtu.edu.cn.
Abstract:
Obtaining small, fast, and energy-efficient spintronic devices requires a new way of manipulating spin states in an effective manner. Here, a prototype photovoltaic spintronic device with a p-n junction Si wafer is proposed which generates photo-induced electrons and changes the ferromagnetism by interfacial charge doping. A ferromagnetic resonance field change of 48.965 mT and 11.306 mT is achieved in Co and CoFeB thin films under sunlight illumination, respectively. The transient reflection (TR) analysis and the first principles calculation reveal the photovoltaic electrons that are doped into the magnetic layer and alter its Fermi level, correspondingly. This finding provides a new method of magnetism modulation and demonstrates a solar-driven spintronic device with abundant energy supply, which may further expand the landscape of spintronics research.
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