A room-temperature polymeric spin-valve

TL;DR

This study demonstrates significant room-temperature magnetoresistance in polymeric spin-valves using conjugated polymers as spacers, revealing bias-dependent effects and defect-related magnetic phenomena.

Contribution

It introduces room-temperature polymeric spin-valves with high magnetoresistance and uncovers bias voltage dependence and defect-related magnetic effects in these devices.

Findings

Giant magnetoresistance up to 150% at room temperature.

Bias voltage dependence of magnetoresistance observed.

Additional peaks in MR vs. magnetic field linked to spin-trapping defects.

Abstract

We report giant magnetoresistance up to 150 percent at low bias current and low temperature as well as room temperature magnetoresistance in polymeric spin-valves having the structure LSMO/conjugated polymer/Co. The conjugated polymers, regiorandom and regioregular P3HT were used as the spacer materials. We observed an asymmetric bias voltage dependence of different devices and additional, hitherto unseen, peaks in MR vs. magnetic field plot with low bias currents measurements that we attribute to local magnetic moments due to spin-trapping in the defects in the spacer material. Also, various spacer thicknesses led to variation of magnetoresistance within a certain temperature range.