Long-distance spin communication via ambipolar conductor with electron-hole spin exchange interaction

Spin accumulation in a nonmagnetic (N) metal embedded between two ferromagnetic metals is still crucial in current spintronics because long-distance spin communication via the N metal can make all-spin logic (ASL) devices feasible. Graphene is almost the only N-region material suitable for ASL devices because its low intrinsic spin-orbit coupling results in a spin diffusion length,ℓN, of over 30µm at room temperature, but long-distance spin communication beyondℓNremains difficult. The present study proposes a way to remove the restriction caused byℓN. In our proposal, an ambipolar conductor, in which electron and hole contribute to electronic conduction and interact with each other, is used for the N-region in a double-heterojunction magnetic structure. When the electron-hole interaction is accompanied by spin exchange, long-distance spin communication characteristic is predicted. Approximately 70 types of ambipolar conductors, including elemental metals and metal alloys, are available. Hence, this material variation may open a new spintronics field, ambipolar spintronics, which may realize operation mechanisms that cannot be achieved using conventional single-band metals. Finally, we present a comprehensive argument on the interface-mediated coupling mechanism between spins and charges, which is the basis of the generation of the spin-coupled interface voltage.