Hot-electron spin transistors

Hot electron spin transistors are hybrid metal/semiconductor devices that rely on spin-dependent transport of hot (nonthermalized) electrons rather than electrons near the Fermi level. The spin-valve transistor (SVT) was the first example of this new class of spintronic devices [128, 129], It has a three-terminal structure consisting of a metallic spin-valve base that is sandwiched between two semiconductor substrates, serving as the emitter and the collector, respectively. The electrons in this device are transported perpendicular to the spin-valve layers at energies just above the collector Schottky barrier height. 

While strong spin-dependent hot electron scattering in the ferromagnetic base layers is the reason for large magnetocurrent effects, it also leads to a relatively small collector current. The collector current of hot electron spin transistors can be written as... 

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