  We have studied the current through a carbon nanotube quantum dot with one
ferromagnetic and one normal-metal lead. For the values of gate voltage at
which the normal lead is resonant with the single available non-degenerate
energy level on the dot, we observe a pronounced decrease in the current for
one bias direction. We show that this rectification is spin-dependent, and that
it stems from the interplay between the spin accumulation and the Coulomb
blockade on the quantum dot. Our results imply that the current is
spin-polarized for one direction of the bias, and that the degree of spin
polarization is fully and precisely tunable using the gate and bias voltages.
As the operation of this spin diode does not require high magnetic fields or
optics, it could be used as a building block for electrically controlled
spintronic devices.
