A research team led by Prof. SHEN Baogen, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) from the Ningbo Institute of Materials Technology and Engineering (NIMTE) of CAS, has achieved multilevel spin-based modulation of magnetoresistance in high-performance organic spin valve (OSV) devices. The study was published in Advanced Materials.
As a new branch of spintronics, organic spintronic devices combine the benefits of organic molecules with spin modulation, leading to significant advances in the design and development of materials, architectures, and mechanisms. The advantages of organic spintronic devices-including low cost, lightweight, flexibility, solution-processability, and chemical tailorability-make them highly promising for applications in information storage and processing.
However, the relatively narrow range of tunable magnetoresistance has limited the performance enhancements of organic spintronic devices, thus hindering both theoretical research and practical applications.
In this study, the researchers fabricated a three-terminal OSV device for the first time, incorporating a gate structure by merging strain electronics with organic spintronics. The device achieved a magnetoresistance value of 281%, which is ten times higher than the average magnetoresistance value found in polymer systems. Unlike traditional structures, in which the write unit and read unit are combined, this new design separates these units, preventing signal attenuation and device failure.
By integrating strain control and spin-polarized current control, the OSV devices can achieve efficient multi-state modulation, demonstrating at least ten stable spin-dependent working states within a single device. This capability can significantly enhance the storage density of OSV devices.
The impressive modulation range is a result of the synergistic effects of strain and charge accumulation, which are amplified by the spinterface.
This study highlights the potential of OSV systems for information storage and processing while providing valuable insights into the advancement of multifunctional spintronic devices.
Fig. The spinterface effect facilitates the magnetoresistance modulation of devices. (Image by NIMTE)
