Measuring the Spin Polarization of a Metal with a Superconducting Point Contact
Abstract
A superconducting point contact is used to determine the spin polarization at the Fermi energy of several metals. Because the process of supercurrent conversion at a superconductor-metal interface (Andreev reflection) is limited by the minority spin population near the Fermi surface, the differential conductance of the point contact can reveal the spin polarization of the metal. This technique has been applied to a variety of metals where the spin polarization ranges from 35 to 90 percent: Ni 0.8 Fe 0.2 , Ni, Co, Fe, NiMnSb, La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 , and CrO 2 .
Document Details
- Document Type
- Pub Defense Publication
- Publication Date
- Oct 02, 1998
- Source ID
- 10.1126/science.282.5386.85
Entities
People
- A. Barry
- B. Nadgorny
- C. T. Tanaka
- J. M. Byers
- J. Nowak
- J. S. Moodera
- M. S. Osofsky
- Michael Coey
- P. R. Broussard
- R. J. Soulen Jr.
- S. F. Cheng
- T. Ambrose
Organizations
- George Washington University