Spintronics of a Nanoelectromechanical Shuttle

Abstract

We consider effects of the spin degree of freedom on the nanomechanics of a single-electron transistor (SET) containing a nanometer-sized metallic cluster suspended between two magnetic leads. It is shown that in such a nanoelectromechanical SET (NEM-SET) the onset of an electromechanical instability leading to cluster vibrations and shuttle transport of electrons between the leads can be controlled by an external magnetic field. Different stable regimes of this spintronic NEM-SET operation are analyzed. Two different scenarios for the onset of shuttle vibrations are found.