Spin polarized transport effects in III-V semiconductor heterostructures

Summary form only given. In the field of spintronics, GaMnAs, a ferromagnetic semiconductor, offers many advantages to study tunnel magnetotransport properties when used as an electrode. The complexity of the transport mechanisms associated with spin orbit coupled states make this material a powerful means for finding novel effects; also it provides new challenges for a theoretical understanding. This includes the tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) across single or double barriers, tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance (TAMR) and current induced magnetic switching (CIMS), as recently reported in such systems. I will discuss on the basis of magnetoresistance experiments with tunnel junctions the key elements to observe and understand such effects.