Multiterminal semiconductor/ferromagnet probes for spin-filter scanning tunneling microscopy

We describe the fabrication of multiterminal semiconductor/ferromagnet probes for a new technique to study magnetic nanostructures: spin-filter scanning tunneling microscopy. We describe the principle of the technique, which is based on spin-polarized tunneling and subsequent analysis of the spin polarization using spin-dependent transmission in the probe tip. We report the fabrication of the probes having a submicron semiconductor/ferromagnet heterostructure at the end of the tip. (C) 2009 American Institute of Physics. [DOI: 10.1063/1.3068128]