Physicists tune a spin diode

A team of physicists at MIPT has offered a new design of a spin diode, placing the device between two kinds of antiferromagnetic materials. By adjusting the orientation of their antiferromagnetic axes, it is possible to change the resistance and the resonant frequency of the diode. In addition, this approach triples the range of frequencies on which the device can rectify alternating current. At the same time, the sensitivity of the spin diode is comparable to that of its semiconductor analogs. The paper was published in Physical Review B.