Stefano Sanvito and Alexandre Reily Rocha
Spintronics is the ability of injecting, manipulating and detecting
electron spins into solid state systems. Molecular-electronics investigates
the possibility of making electronic devices using organic molecules. Traditionally
these two burgeoning areas have lived separate lives, but recently
a growing number of experiments have indicated a possible pathway towards their
integration. This is the playground for molecular-spintronics, where
spin-polarized currents are carried through molecules, and in turn they can
affect the state of the molecule. We review the most recent advances
in molecular-spintronics. In particular we discuss how a fully quantitative
theory for spin-transport in nanostructures can offer fundamental insights
into the main factors affecting spin-transport at the molecular level, and
can help in designing novel concept devices.