Organic spin valves: the first organic spintronics devices

Organic spin valves (OSV) are the most promising building blocks for future organic electronic devices based on the electron spin degree of freedom, namely Organic Spintronics. Tremendous progress has been achieved in the past four years in fabricating, studying and understanding the underlying physics of these devices. We highlight the most significant advances in OSV research, including temperature and bias voltage dependences, and address the future outlook of this young field.