A superconductor with a spin-split excitation spectrum behaves as an ideal ferromagnetic spin-injector in a tunneling junction. It was theoretical predicted that the combination of two such spin-split superconductors with independently tunable magnetizations, may be used as an ideal absolute spin-valve. Here we report on the first switchable superconducting spin-valve based on two EuS/Al bilayers coupled through an aluminum oxide tunnel barrier. The spin-valve shows a relative resistance change between the parallel and antiparallel configuration of the EuS layers up to 900% that demonstrates a highly spin-polarized currents through the junction. Our device may be pivotal for realization of thermoelectric radiation detectors, logical element for a memory cell in cryogenics superconductor-based computers and superconducting spintronics in general.
@article{arxiv.1806.03151,
title = {A superconducting absolute spin valve},
author = {G. De Simoni and E. Strambini and J. S. Moodera and F. S. Bergeret and F. Giazotto},
journal= {arXiv preprint arXiv:1806.03151},
year = {2018}
}