Patent ID: 7450327

Claim:
A coherent spin valve comprising: a nonmagnetic, electrically conducting layer positioned adjacent to a first ferromagnetic electrode and a second ferromagnetic electrode; a static magnetic field {right arrow over (B)} 0 configured to magnetize the first and second ferromagnetic electrodes, each direction of magnetization being substantially parallel to the static magnetic field {right arrow over (B)} 0 ; a radiation source for providing an RF/microwave signal to the nonmagnetic, electrically conducting layer, the RF/microwave signal having a magnetic field {right arrow over (B)} 1 which is substantially perpendicular to the static magnetic field {right arrow over (B)} 0 , and configured such that {right arrow over (B)} 1 and {right arrow over (B)} 0 interact with conducting electrons in the nonmagnetic layer to excite a precessing electron state having a spin resonance frequency, thus generating a spin polarized conducting current; and a detector for monitoring a change in the spin polarized conducting current.