Theory of spintronics in nanostructure

Abstract

Spintronics offers promise in employing intrinsic spin in nanoscale devices for next generation information technologies. In this thesis, we theoretically study several critical aspects of spintronics, with a focus on the spin injection through interfaces with different properties, and the spin transfer torque (STT) phenomenon in single/multi-layer(s) ferromagnetic (FM) thin film system. The studies focus on spin-dependent transport characteristics in nanoscale structures under the influence of various physical parameters of the system and the interactions with electric and magnetic fields. Two modeling methods have been deployed in this thesis, namely the semiclassical spin drift-diffusion (SDD) model and the tight-binding non-equilibrium Green?s function (NEGF). We focus on studying the ways in which the spin transport can be manipulated through the modification of physical parameters or engineering designs in order to optimize device performance, and gaining a better understanding of the spin transport in nanoscale structures by establishing reasonable models.