Anisotropic magnetoresistance in single electron transport

We study the effect of magnetic anisotropy in a single electron transistor with ferromagnetic electrodes and a non-magnetic island. We identify the variation δμ of the chemical potential of the electrodes as a function of the magnetization orientation as a key quantity that permits to tune the electrical properties of the device. Different effects occur depending on the relative size of δμ and the charging energy. We provide preliminary quantitative estimates of δμ using a very simple toy model for the electrodes.

JFR acknowledges funding from Generalitat Valenciana (GV05-152), Spanish MEC (Grants FIS200402356) and Programa Ramón y Cajal. RA and LB acknowledge funding from the Spanish MEC (grant MAT2005-07369-C03-03).