Patent ID: 7492022

Claim:
A semiconductor device, comprising: a plurality of non-magnetic semiconductor layers, wherein the non-magnetic semiconductor layers form a InAs/GaSb/AlSb heterostructure comprised of (110)-oriented quantum wells and having a preferred alignment for a spin orbit BIA field; a spin injector, formed from a portion of the heterostructure, for creating an electron spin polarization in electrons residing in one of the plurality of non-magnetic semiconductor layers that is substantially in contact with the spin injector; and a spin collector, formed from a portion of the heterostructure, for detecting the electron spin polarization in electrons residing in one of the non-magnetic semiconductor layers that is substantially in contact with the spin collector; and a spin manipulation gate, wherein said spin manipulation gate applies an electric field having a finite component along the (110)-direction to one or more of the plurality of non-magnetic semiconductor layers for controlling electron spin current by controlling electron spin relaxation time through its dependence on the electric field.