NM/FI/NI/FI/NM新型双自旋过滤隧道结的隧穿电导和隧穿磁电阻

在NM/FI/FI/NM型双自旋过滤隧道结(此处NM为非磁金属层，FI为铁磁绝缘体或半导体层)的基础上，我们提出一种NM/FI/NI/FI/NM新型双自旋过滤隧道结(此处NI表示非磁绝缘体或半导体层). 插入NI层的目的是为了避免原双自旋过滤隧道结中相邻FI层界面处磁的耦合作用所导致的对隧穿磁电阻的不利影响. 在自由电子近似的基础上，利用转移矩阵方法，对NM/FI/NI/FI/NM新型双自旋过滤隧道结的隧穿电导、隧穿磁电阻与FI层及NI层厚度的变化关系以及随偏压的变化关系进行了理论研究.计算结果表明，在NM/FI/NI/FI/NM新型双自旋过滤隧道结中仍可以得到很大的TMR值. 关键词： 双自旋过滤隧道结 隧穿磁电阻 非磁绝缘(半导)体间隔层     

TUNNEL MAGNETORESISTANCE IN THE FERROMAGNETIC TUNNEL JUNCTION WITH FERROMAGNETIC LAYERS OF FINITE THICKNESS SUBJECTED TO AN ELECTRIC FIELD

Based on the two-band model, we investigate the tunnel magnetoresistance(TMR) in ferromagnet/insulator (semiconductor)/ferromagnet(FM/I(S)/FM) tunnel junction covered on both sides by nonmagnetic metal layers subjected to an electric field. Our results show that TMR oscillates with the thickness of ferromagnetic layers owing to the quantum-size effect and can reach very large value under suitable conditions, which may in general not be reached in FM/I(S)/FM with infinitely thick ferromagnetic layer. Although the electric field causes the change of the oscillation period, phase and amplitude of the TMR, a large TMR is still obtained in some situations with the electric field. Furthermore, the electric field does not change the feature that TMR varies monotonously with the change of magnetization angle of the middle ferromagnetic layer.     

Tunneling magnetoresistance of the double spin-filter junctions at nonzero bias

A recent theoretical estimation indicated that the NM/FI/FI/NM double spin-filter junction (DSFJ, here the NM and FI represent the nonmagnetic electrode and the ferromagnetic insulator (semiconductor) spacer, respectively) could have very high tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) at zero bias. To meet the requirement in research and application of the magnetoresistance devices, we have calculated the dependences of tunneling magnetoresistance of DSFJ on the bias (voltage), the thicknesses of ferromagnetic insulators (semiconductors) and the average barrier height. Our results show that except its very high value, the TMR of DSFJ does not decrease monotonously and rapidly with rising bias, but increase slowly at first and decrease then after having reached a maximum value. This feature is in distinct contrast to the ordinary magnetic tunnel junction FM/NI/FM (FM and NI denote the ferromagnetic electrode and the nonmagnetic insulator (semiconductor) spacer, respectively), and is of benefit to the use of DSFJ as a magnetoresistance device.     

多层结构双自旋过滤隧道结中的电子输运特性

在转移矩阵方法及Mireles和Kirczenow的量子相干输运理论的基础上,研究了正常金属层/磁性半导体层/非磁绝缘层/磁性半导体层/正常金属层型双自旋过滤隧道结中Rashba自旋轨道耦合效应和自旋过滤效应对自旋相关输运的影响.讨论了隧穿磁电阻（TMR）、隧穿电导与各材料层厚度、Rashba自旋轨道耦合强度以及两磁性半导体中磁矩的相对夹角θ之间的关系.研究表明：含磁性半导体层的双自旋过滤隧道结由于磁性半导体层的自旋过滤效应和Rashba自旋轨道耦合作用可获得极大的TMR值.另外TMR和隧穿电导随着Rashba自旋轨道耦合强度的变化而振荡,振荡周期随Rashba自旋轨道耦合强度的增大逐渐减小. 关键词： 双自旋过滤隧道结 Rashba自旋轨道耦合 隧穿磁电阻 隧穿电导     

磁性多层膜的巨磁电阻随铁磁和非磁层厚度变化的唯象理论计算

根据唯象理论，并采用以铁磁─非磁混合层代替铁磁／非磁层界面的理论方法，计算了Ｆｅ／Ｃｒ多层膜的巨磁电阻随铁磁和非磁层厚度的变化关系与实验结果做了比较，发现它们符合得较好．还绘出了巨磁电阻随铁磁和非磁层厚度变化的二元函数图 关键词：     

Bulk—like contribution of tunnel magnetoresistance in magnetic tunnel junctions

We have demonstrated that the bulk-like contribution to tunnelling magnetoresistance (TMR) exists in the magnetic tunnel junctions, and is determined by the tunnelling characteristic length of the ferromagnetic electrodes. In the experiment, a wedge-shaped CoFe layer is inserted at the interface between the insulating barrier and the reference electrode. It is found that TMR ratio increases from 18% without CoFe layer to a saturation value of 26.5% when the CoFe thickness is about 2.3 nm. The tunnelling characteristic length, l_{tc}, can be obtained to be about 0.8 nm for CoFe materials.     

Magnetization reversal mechanism of magnetic tunnel junctions

Using the ion-beam-sputtering technique,we have fabricated Fe/Al2O3/Fe magnetic tunnelling junctions (MTJs).We have observed double-peaked shapes of curves,which have a level summit and a symmetrical feature,showing the magnetoresistance of the junction as a function of applied field.We have measured the tunnel conductance of MTJs which have insulating layers of different thicknesses.We have studied the dependence of the magnetoresistance of MTJs on tunnel conductance.The microstructures of hard-and soft-magnetic layers and interfaces of ferromagnets and insulators were probed.Analysing the influence of MJT microstructures,including those having clusters or/and granules in magnetic and non-magnetic films,a magnetization reversal mechanism(MRM) is proposed,which suggests that the MRM of tunnelling junctions may be explained by using a group-by-group reversal model of magnetic moments of the mesoscopical particles.We discuss the influence of MTJ microstructures,including those with clusters or/and granules in the ferromagnetic and non-magnetic films,on the MRM.     

Magnetization reversal and spin accumulation in nonmagnetic metals by spin injection from lateral Co/Cu,Co/Al heterojunctions

We have fabricated ferromagnetic/nonmagnetic (FM/NM) metal heterojunctions for the detection of the spin accumulation effect in different nonmagnetic metals. To understand the effect of spin accumulation in more detail, the switching behavior of the ferromagnetic wires was studied by means of magnetoresistance (MR) measurements and Monte Carlo simulations (MC). The polycrystalline heterojunctions were prepared by high-resolution electron beam lithography (HR-EBL) and a special oblique evaporation technique. The ferromagnetic (FM) and the nonmagnetic (NM) metal were evaporated on top of each other in a single-evaporation step to achieve an interface between the two metals of high quality. To verify the quality of the interface, we measured the spin accumulation effect in nonmagnetic copper (Cu) and aluminum (Al) and determined the spin polarization of the current at the interface between the ferromagnetic and nonmagnetic metals.     

First-principles calculations of magnetic and electronic structures around surfaces and interfaces of magnetic multi-layered structure

Electronic and magnetic structures of ferromagnetic (FM)/non-magnetic (NM) and FM/antiferromagnetic (AF) bi-layer systems are calculated by the first principles approach. For the FM/NM system, we focus on the Co/Cu multi-layered structure whose interfacial layer is assumed to have a mixed composition of Co and Cu atoms, and show a possibility that Co atoms at the interface play a significant role as the spin-dependent scattering potentials. In the FM/AF system, we consider Fe or Co monolayer as FM layer and MnNi as AF layers. It is predicted that the Mn moments adjacent to FM layer are forced to align the FM moments, and those of under layer go gradually to anti-parallel alignment as in the bulk MnNi.     

Magnetoresistance in the ferromagnet/insulator/ferromagnet tunnel junction

Recently experiments and theories show that the tunnel magnetoresistance （TMR） does not only depend on the ferromagnetic metal electrodes but also on the insulator. Considering the rough-scattering effect and spin-flip effect in the insulator, this paper investigates the TMR ratio in a ferromagnet/insulator/ferromagnet （FM/I/FM） tunnelling junction by using Slonczewsik＇s model. A more general expression of TMR ratio as a function of barrier height, interface roughness and spin-flip effect is obtained. In lower barrier case, it shows that the TMR ratio depends on the roughscattering effect and spin-flip effect.     

自旋轨道矩调控的垂直磁各向异性四态存储器结构

利用氧化钽缓冲层对垂直各向异性钴铂多层膜磁性的影响,构想并验证了一种四态存储器单元.存储器器件包含两个区域,其中一区域的钴铂多层膜[Pt(3 nm)/Co(0.47 nm)/Pt(1.5 nm)]直接生长在热氧化硅衬底上,另一个区域在磁性膜和衬底之间沉积了一层氧化钽作为缓冲层[TaO x(0.3 nm)/Pt(3 nm)/Co(0.47 nm)/Pt(1.5 nm)],缓冲层导致两个区域的垂直磁各向异性不同.在固定的水平磁场下对器件施加与磁场同向的电流,由于电流引起的自旋轨道耦合力矩,两个区域的磁化取向均会发生翻转,且拥有不同的临界翻转电流.改变通过器件导电通道的电流脉冲形式,器件的磁化状态可以在4个态之间切换.本文器件的结构为设计自旋轨道矩存储器件提供了新的思路.     

Tunable interlayer exchange coupling energy by modification of Schottky barrier potentials

We theoretically demonstrate that the interlayer exchange coupling (IEC) energy can be manipulated by means of an external bias voltage in a F₁/NM/F₂/S (F₁: ferromagnetic, NM: nonmagnetic metallic, F₂: ferromagnetic, S: semiconductor layers) four-layer system. It is well known that the IEC energy between two ferromagnetic layers separated by nanometer thick nonmagnetic layer depends on the spin-dependent electron reflectivities at the interface in F₁/NM/F₂ trilayer system. We apply such dependence to the F₁/NM/F₂/S four-layer system, where the reflectivity of NM/F₂ interface also depends on F₂/S interface due to the multiple reflection of an electron like optics. Finally, the IEC energy depends on the spin-dependent electron reflectivity not only at the interfaces of F₁/NM/F₂, but also at the interface of F₂/S. Naturally the Schottky barrier is formed at the interface between metallic ferromagnetic layer and semiconductor, the Schottky barrier height and thickness can be tailored by an external bias voltage, which causes the change of the spin-dependent reflectivity at F₂/S interface. We show that the IEC energy between two ferromagnetic layers can be controlled by an external bias voltage due to the electron-optics nature using a simple free-electron-like one-dimensional model.     

Tunneling Conductance and Magnetoresistance in Ferromagnet/Ferromagnet/d-Wave Superconductor Double Tunnel Junctions

The tunneling conductance and tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) are investigated in ferromagnet/insulator/ferromagnet/insulator/d-wave superconductor (FM/I/FM/I/d-wave SC) structures by applying an extended Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk (BTK) approach. We study the effects of the exchange splitting in the FM, the magnetic impurity scattering in the thin insulator interface of FM/I/FM, and noncollinear magnetizations in adjacent magnetic layers on the TMR. It is shown (1) that the tunneling conductance and TMR exhibit amplitude-varying oscillating behavior with exchange splitting, (2) that with the presence of spin-flip scattering in insulator interface of FM/I/FM, the TMR can be dramatically enhanced, and (3) that the TMR depends strongly on the angle between the magnetization of two FMs.     

The effect of a nonmagnetic Zr layer on the magnetic and magneto-optical properties of Fe/Zr and Fe/Zr/Fe thin-film systems

The magnetic and magneto-optical properties of nanocrystalline Fe/Zr and Fe/Zr/Fe thin-film systems have been studied using the magneto-optical method. The strong effect of Zr layer thickness t _Zr on the magnetic properties of Fe/Zr samples was discovered. It was found that the value of the saturation field of the Fe/Zr/Fe systems oscillates as a function of t _Zr, which is explained by the oscillating character of the exchange interaction between ferromagnetic layers via a Zr spacer with the change in t _Zr. It was established that the values of the transverse Kerr effect depend on the thicknesses of both magnetic and nonmagnetic layers.     

Peculiarities of the ferromagnetic resonance in multilayer CoFeZr-α-Si films

The static magnetic properties and ferromagnetic resonance spectra of multilayer CoFeZr-α-Si films with different numbers and thicknesses of magnetic and nonmagnetic layers have been investigated. It is established that the shape of the ferromagnetic resonance spectrum and the resonant fields H _res depend on the thickness of nonmagnetic layers and their total number. The character of changes in the spectrum makes it possible to estimate the quality of layers and interfaces.     

Recent advances in exchange bias of layered magnetic FM/AFM systems

The exchange bias(EB) has been investigated in magnetic materials with the ferromagnetic(FM)/antiferromagnetic(AFM) contacting interfaces for more than half a century.To date,the significant progress has been made in the layered magnetic FM/AFM thin film systems.EB mechanisms have shown substantive research advances.Here some of the new advances are introduced and discussed with the emphasis on the influence of AFM layer,the interlayer EB coupling across nonmagnetic spacer,and the interlayer coupling across AFM layer,as well as EB related to multiferrioc materials and electrical control.     

Dependence of Interlayer AF Coupling on Ferromagnetic Layer Thickness in [Pt/Co]5/Ru/[Co/Pt]5 Multilayers

We study magnetization reversal in the interlayer coupled [Pt/Co]5/Ru/[Co/Pt]5 multilayers （MLs） by means of the measurement of extraordinary Hall effect （EHE）. Fitting experimental data to a simple model, we determine the interlayer coupling strength for various thicknesses of the ferromagnetic layers at a fixed Ru spacer thickness. It is found that the dependence of interlayer coupling strength on the Pt layer thickness is much stronger than the previous report in the ferromagnetic/nonmagnetic/ferromagnetic multilayers.     

铁磁/反铁磁双层膜系统中的磁畴动力学行为

比较了铁磁单层膜与铁磁/反铁磁双层膜结构中的磁畴演化行为, 发现由于反铁磁层膜对铁磁层膜的耦合作用使得系统的磁畴壁厚度、 磁畴壁等效质量、磁畴壁移动速度等发生了改变, 系统的矫顽场增强, 并出现了交换偏置场. 文章具体研究了反铁磁层耦合作用下其磁畴壁厚度、 等效质量以及磁畴壁移动速度等与反铁磁层的净磁化、 磁各向异性、界面耦合强度以及温度等的关系; 并研究了其对铁磁/反铁磁双层膜中的交换偏置场、矫顽场的影响. 进而 从磁畴结构的形成及其演化上揭示了铁磁/反铁磁双 层膜中出现交换偏置以及矫顽场增加的物理机制.     

Vortex domain structures and dc currentdependence of magneto-resistances in magnetic tunnel junctions

Microfabrication and the magneto-transport characteristics of the magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with a spin-valve-type structure of Ta (5nm)/Ni_{79}Fe_{21} (25nm)/Ir_{22}Mn_{78} (12nm)/Co_{75}Fe_{25} (4nm)/Al(0.8nm) oxide/Co_{75}Fe_{25} (4nm)/Ni_{79}Fe_{21} (20nm)/Ta(5nm) were investigated in this paper. A series of experimental data measured with a MTJ was used to verify a magnon-assisted tunnelling model and theory. Furthermore, a micromagnetics simulation shows that the butterfly-like vortex domain structures can be formed under a current-induced Oersted field, which decreases the net magnetization values of the ferromagnetic electrodes under a large dc current (i.e., in high voltage regimes). It is one of the main reasons for the tunnel magnetoresistance ratios to decrease significantly at high voltage biasing.     

Bias Dependence in Spin-Polarized Tunneling of Ferromagnet/Ferromagnetic Insulator (Semiconductor)/Ferromagnet Junctions

Based on the nearly-free-electron approximation, the bias dependencies of electron transport properties of ferromagnet/ferromagnetic insulator (semiconductor)/ferromagnet junctions have been studied. Resonances appear in electron transmission probability. These resonances cause oscillations in the zero-temperature tunnel current and the resonances occur in tunnel conductance. Tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) is an oscillatory function of bias. The TMR can reach a value as high as 100%. The bins dependencies of electron transport properties relate to the magnetic configurations of the junctions.