Spin transport in ferromagnet/semiconductor/ferromagnet structures with cubic Dresselhaus spin-orbit-interaction

We have investigated the spin transport in ferromagnet (FM)/semiconductor (SC)/ferromagnet (FM) structures with a central SC barrier region exhibiting cubic Dresselhaus spin-orbit-interaction (SOI). The energy profile of the barrier is assumed to be a square with height V and thickness d along z-direction. The magnetoresistance (MR) ratio has been calculated for three different barriers, GaAs, GaSb, and GaAs without SOI as a function of barrier thickness. We have found that the MR ratio has a negative value for GaAs barrier with SOI except for very thin barrier thickness. In the case of GaSb barrier, the MR ratio changes sign from negative to positive with increasing the barrier thickness. Also, we have calculated the MR ratio with changing the spin coupling constant. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3677799]