Spintronics explores the spin degree of freedom of the electron to sense, store, process and transfer information in addition to the electron charge. Semiconductor spintronics promises to combine new spin enabling functionality with the present-day microelectronics and optoelectronics. It also opens the door to new generation of devices, and to the merging of electronics, photonics and magnetics. The success of spintronics relies on our ability to create and control spins. Among many obstacles, generation of electron spin polarization and coherence at room temperature is one of the most important as well as the most challenging issues, which has attracted intense research efforts during recent years. Significant progresses have been made both theoretically and experimentally, while many issues remain unresolved.
This book provides an in-depth review of the rapidly developing field of spintronic semiconductors. It covers a broad range of topics, including growth and basic physical properties of diluted magnetic semiconductors based on II-VI, III-V and IV semiconductors, recent developments in theory and experimental techniques and potential device applications; its aim is to provide postgraduate students, researchers and engineers a comprehensive overview of our present knowledge and future perspectives of spintronic semiconductors.
