Experimental Demonstration of Spintronic Broadband Microwave Detectors and Their Capability for Powering Nanodevices

Abstract

A broadband spintronic diode would be important for electromagnetic energy harvesting, with the advantages of nanoscale size and low output resistance. This study gives experimental proof of broadband microwave detection in a magnetic tunnel junction, with a spintronic diode providing sufficient dc voltage to supply a low-power nanodevice. Such diodes also work as rectifiers below 1 nW, outperforming traditional Schottky diodes. These results point to spintronic diodes as building blocks in self-powered systems such as implantable biomedical devices, wireless sensors, and portable electronics, plus ultralow-power detectors for aerospace applications and the ``Internet of Things''.