Spintronic transport through a double quantum dot-based spin valve with noncollinear magnetizations

Abstract We study the magnetoresistive properties of a spin valve based on a double quantum dot attached to ferromagnetic leads with noncollinear alignment of magnetic moments. It is assumed that each dot is strongly coupled to its own ferromagnetic electrode, while the hopping between the dots is relatively weak. The calculations are performed by using the perturbation theory in the coupling between the dots, while the local density of states of a quantum dot attached to a given external lead is determined with the aid of the numerical renormalization group method. We demonstrate that the examined device can exhibit considerable positive or inverse tunnel magnetoresistance. It can be also a source of highly spin-polarized current. Importantly, the spin-resolved transport properties can be controlled by gate and bias voltages and depend on the angle between the magnetizations of the ferromagnets.