Room-temperature ferroelectric control of spin-to-charge conversion in GeTe

Since the 1980s, the generation and detection of spin currents has relied on ferromagnets. Their switching today relies on spin-orbit torque from heavy metals. Nevertheless, spin injection in semiconductors has rather low efficiency. Ferroelectric Rashba semiconductors (FERSC) [1,2] may constitute a new paradigm for semiconductor spintronics, thanks to the combination of semiconductivity, large spin-orbit interaction, and the non-volatility provided by ferroelectricity. Here we report the room-temperature ferroelectric switching of spin-to-charge conversion in epitaxial GeTe films. We first show that ferroelectricity in GeTe can be reversed by electrical gating despite its high carrier density. Then, we reveal a spin-to-charge conversion as effective as in Pt, but whose sign switches with the ferroelectric polarization. These results open a route towards devices combining spin-logic and memory integrated into a silicon-compatible material.