Spin-dependent tunneling spectroscopy in single-crystal Fe/MgO/Fe tunnel junctions

Y. Ando; T. Miyakoshi; M. Oogane; T. Miyazaki; H. Kubota; K. Ando; S. Yuasa

doi:10.1063/1.2077861

Spin-dependent tunneling spectroscopy in single-crystal Fe/MgO/Fe tunnel junctions

Y. Ando, T. Miyakoshi, M. Oogane, T. Miyazaki, H. Kubota, K. Ando, S. Yuasa

ENG - Applied Physics

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

61 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

We report a detailed spin-dependent tunneling spectroscopy in single-crystal Fe (001) MgO (001) Fe (001) magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) that show a giant tunnel magnetoresistance effect. Spectra for antiparallel magnetic configurations show asymmetry because of extrinsic electron scatterings caused by structural defects at the barrier/electrode interfaces. Surprisingly, spectra for parallel magnetic configurations exhibit a complex oscillatory structure that has never been observed in conventional MTJs with an aluminum-oxide tunnel barrier. The complex spectra reflect the tunneling process via interface resonant states. These results provide some information that helps to elucidate the physics of spin-dependent electron tunneling and to further enhance magnetoresistance.

Original language	English
Article number	142502
Pages (from-to)	1-3
Number of pages	3
Journal	Applied Physics Letters
Volume	87
Issue number	14
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2077861
Publication status	Published - 2005 Oct 3

Access to Document

10.1063/1.2077861

Cite this

@article{92cf3876f2ae4b5791c4b52ba80e2710,

title = "Spin-dependent tunneling spectroscopy in single-crystal Fe/MgO/Fe tunnel junctions",

abstract = "We report a detailed spin-dependent tunneling spectroscopy in single-crystal Fe (001) MgO (001) Fe (001) magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) that show a giant tunnel magnetoresistance effect. Spectra for antiparallel magnetic configurations show asymmetry because of extrinsic electron scatterings caused by structural defects at the barrier/electrode interfaces. Surprisingly, spectra for parallel magnetic configurations exhibit a complex oscillatory structure that has never been observed in conventional MTJs with an aluminum-oxide tunnel barrier. The complex spectra reflect the tunneling process via interface resonant states. These results provide some information that helps to elucidate the physics of spin-dependent electron tunneling and to further enhance magnetoresistance.",

author = "Y. Ando and T. Miyakoshi and M. Oogane and T. Miyazaki and H. Kubota and K. Ando and S. Yuasa",

note = "Funding Information: The authors would like to thank Y. Suzuki, T. Katayama, T. Nagahama, A. Fukushima, and M. Yamamoto for their assistance in sample preparation. This study was partially supported by the IT-program of Research Revolution 2002 (RR2002), Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan, and NEDO Grant Program.",

year = "2005",

month = oct,

day = "3",

doi = "10.1063/1.2077861",

language = "English",

volume = "87",

pages = "1--3",

journal = "Applied Physics Letters",

issn = "0003-6951",

publisher = "American Institute of Physics",

number = "14",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Spin-dependent tunneling spectroscopy in single-crystal Fe/MgO/Fe tunnel junctions

AU - Ando, Y.

AU - Miyakoshi, T.

AU - Oogane, M.

AU - Miyazaki, T.

AU - Kubota, H.

AU - Ando, K.

AU - Yuasa, S.

N1 - Funding Information: The authors would like to thank Y. Suzuki, T. Katayama, T. Nagahama, A. Fukushima, and M. Yamamoto for their assistance in sample preparation. This study was partially supported by the IT-program of Research Revolution 2002 (RR2002), Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan, and NEDO Grant Program.

PY - 2005/10/3

Y1 - 2005/10/3

N2 - We report a detailed spin-dependent tunneling spectroscopy in single-crystal Fe (001) MgO (001) Fe (001) magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) that show a giant tunnel magnetoresistance effect. Spectra for antiparallel magnetic configurations show asymmetry because of extrinsic electron scatterings caused by structural defects at the barrier/electrode interfaces. Surprisingly, spectra for parallel magnetic configurations exhibit a complex oscillatory structure that has never been observed in conventional MTJs with an aluminum-oxide tunnel barrier. The complex spectra reflect the tunneling process via interface resonant states. These results provide some information that helps to elucidate the physics of spin-dependent electron tunneling and to further enhance magnetoresistance.

AB - We report a detailed spin-dependent tunneling spectroscopy in single-crystal Fe (001) MgO (001) Fe (001) magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) that show a giant tunnel magnetoresistance effect. Spectra for antiparallel magnetic configurations show asymmetry because of extrinsic electron scatterings caused by structural defects at the barrier/electrode interfaces. Surprisingly, spectra for parallel magnetic configurations exhibit a complex oscillatory structure that has never been observed in conventional MTJs with an aluminum-oxide tunnel barrier. The complex spectra reflect the tunneling process via interface resonant states. These results provide some information that helps to elucidate the physics of spin-dependent electron tunneling and to further enhance magnetoresistance.

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=28344445570&partnerID=8YFLogxK

UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=28344445570&partnerID=8YFLogxK

U2 - 10.1063/1.2077861

DO - 10.1063/1.2077861

M3 - Article

AN - SCOPUS:28344445570

SN - 0003-6951

VL - 87

SP - 1

EP - 3

JO - Applied Physics Letters

JF - Applied Physics Letters

IS - 14

M1 - 142502

ER -

Spin-dependent tunneling spectroscopy in single-crystal Fe/MgO/Fe tunnel junctions

Abstract

Access to Document

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this