Semiconductor heterostructures that utilize carrier spin as a new degree of freedom offer entirely new functionality and enhanced performance over conventional devices. We describe the essential requirements for implementing this technology, focusing on the materials and interface issues relevant to electrical spin injection into a semiconductor. These are discussed and illustrated in the context of several prototype semiconductor spintronic devices, including spin-polarized light-emitting diodes and resonant tunneling structures such as the resonant interband tunneling diode.
