Harnessing spin precession with dissipation

Non-collinear spin transport is at the heart of spin or magnetization control in spintronics devices. The use of nanoscale conductors exhibiting quantum effects in transport could provide new paths for that purpose. Here we study non-collinear spin transport in a quantum dot. We use a device made out of a single-wall carbon nanotube connected to orthogonal ferromagnetic electrodes. In the spin transport signals, we observe signatures of out of equilibrium spin precession that are electrically tunable through dissipation. This could provide a new path to harness spin precession in nanoscale conductors.
Control over the orientation of electronic spins forms the basis for spintronic devices in both classical and quantum systems. Here, the authors observe electrically-tunable dissipation-controlled spin precession in a carbon nanotube quantum dot bridging two non-collinearly magnetized electrodes.