We give a brief introduction to the oxide （ZnO, TiO2, In2O3, SnO2, etc.）-based magnetic semiconductors from fundamental material aspects through fascinating magnetic, transport, and optical properties, particularly at room temperature, to promising device applications. The origin of the observed ferromagnetism is also discussed, with a special focus on first-principles investigations of the exchange interactions between transition metal dopants in oxide-based magnetic semiconductors.
With the discovery of giant magnetoresistance(GMR),research effort has been made to exploiting the influence of spins on the mobility of electrons in ferromagnetic materials and/or artificial structures,which has lead to the idea of spintronics.A brief introduction is given to GMR effects from scientific background to experimental observations and theoretical models.In addition,the mechanisms of various magnetoresistance beyond the GMR are reviewed,for instance,tunnelling magnetoresistance,colossal magnetoresistance,and magnetoresistance in ferromagnetic semiconductors,nanowires,organic spintronics and non-magnetic systems.
