Our partners CNRS-IJL, LAF, UPB and UNIRI have jointly published a review article on spin light emitting diodes!
Spin light-emitting diodes (spin-LEDs) convert carrier-spin polarization into photon circular polarization via electrical control of spin injection. They are key building blocks for spin-optoelectronic technologies, which hold great potential for a wide range of applications, such as optical communications, 3D displays and biomedical analysis.
In this Review, we summarize the main developments in spin-LED injectors and emitters and identify strategies to overcome the key obstacles toward high, electrically controllable circular polarization. We first outline approaches to develop spin injectors that enable efficient electrical control of spin injection. We then present III–V semiconductors, 2D materials and hybrid perovskites as suitable material platforms for spin-photon interconversion. We argue that spin-injector engineering is necessary to achieve high circular polarization, eliminate external magnetic fields, and enable electrical switching of polarization helicity. Finally, we highlight future research directions aimed at high-speed polarization modulation, spin-laser operation and spin-based single-photon sources for quantum optics.
This work is closely linked to the objective in our SpinDataCom project. Integrating SOT-based spin injectors into semiconductor lasers could greatly expand the potential of spin-optoelectronic devices for polarization-based optical communication, leveraging the coherent, high-intensity and gain-enabled properties of lasers.