A new approach towards spintronics–spintronics with no magnets

We review a recently discovered phenomenon, the chiral induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect, that can enable a new technology for the injection of spin polarized current without the need for a permanent magnetic layer. The effect occurs in chiral molecules and systems without parity symmetry, i.e. systems that do not have inversion symmetry. The theoretical foundations for the effect are presented first and then followed by several examples of spin-valves that are based on chiral systems. The CISS-based spin valves introduce the possibility to inject spin current without the use of a permanent magnet and to achieve relatively large magnetoresistance at room temperature.