Performance of a spin-based insulated gate field effect transistor

TL;DR

This paper compares the physical limits of spin-based and charge-based field effect transistors, showing spin transistors can outperform charge transistors at small scales and high temperatures due to their unique spin control mechanisms.

Contribution

It introduces a comparison of physical properties and performance limits between spin and charge transistors, highlighting the advantages of spin transistors for future small-scale electronics.

Findings

Spin transistors can surpass charge transistors at room temperature.

Spin transistors exhibit lower threshold voltages and reduced leakage.

They have smaller gate capacitances and switching energies.

Abstract

Fundamental physical properties limiting the performance of spin field effect transistors are compared to those of ordinary (charge-based) field effect transistors. Instead of raising and lowering a barrier to current flow these spin transistors use static spin-selective barriers and gate control of spin relaxation. The different origins of transistor action lead to distinct size dependences of the power dissipation in these transistors and permit sufficiently small spin-based transistors to surpass the performance of charge-based transistors at room temperature or above. This includes lower threshold voltages, smaller gate capacitances, reduced gate switching energies and smaller source-drain leakage currents.