Are spin junction transistors suitable for signal processing?

TL;DR

This paper evaluates spintronic junction transistors for signal processing, finding that many lack sufficient gain and isolation, limiting their practical use despite offering non-volatile storage capabilities.

Contribution

The study critically assesses the signal processing suitability of various spin junction transistors, highlighting their limitations compared to conventional transistors.

Findings

Many spin transistors lack sufficient voltage and current gains.

Large output ac conductance hampers signal amplification.

Poor input-output isolation limits unidirectional signal propagation.

Abstract

A number of spintronic junction transistors, that exploit the spin degree of freedom of an electron in addition to the charge degree of freedom, have been proposed to provide simultaneous non-volatile storage and signal processing functionality. Here, we show that some of these transistors unfortunately may not have sufficient voltage and current gains for signal processing. This is primarily because of a large output ac conductance and poor isolation between input and output. The latter also hinders unidirectional propagation of logic signal from the input of a logic gate to the output. Other versions of these transistors appear to have better gain and isolation, but not better than those of a conventional transistor. Therefore, these devices may not improve state-of-the-art signal processing capability, although they may provide additional functionality by offering non-volatile storage. They may also have niche applications in non-linear circuits.