Large and Tunable Magnetoresistance in Cr1−xTe/Al2O3/Cr1−xTe Vertical Spin Valve Device

Abstract The recent discovery of 2D ferromagnetic materials provides new opportunities for fabricating 2D ferromagnets‐based spin valve devices and exploring related novel physics. However, up to now, almost all works adopt a spin valve configuration by inserting different types of 2D materials into...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Zhansheng gao, Jiabiao Chen, Zheshan Zhang, Zhaochao Liu, Yu Zhang, Lingyun Xu, Jinxiong Wu, Feng Luo
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley-VCH 2023-01-01
Series:Advanced Electronic Materials
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Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.202200823
Description
Summary:Abstract The recent discovery of 2D ferromagnetic materials provides new opportunities for fabricating 2D ferromagnets‐based spin valve devices and exploring related novel physics. However, up to now, almost all works adopt a spin valve configuration by inserting different types of 2D materials into the gap between two 2D ferromagnetic electrodes as barrier spacer, rather than applying traditional tunneling barrier, such as Al2O3 films grown by atomic layer deposition (ALD), probably attributed to the instability and incompatibility for the widely explored 2D ferromagnets (CrI3, Fe3GeTe2) to the ALD growth process. Here, Cr1−xTe, an air‐stable 2D ferromagnetic metal grown by chemical vapor deposition, show excellent compatibility to ALD process of depositing Al2O3 films. The nonencapsulated Cr1−xTe/Al2O3/Cr1−xTe vertical spin valve devices demonstrate high magnetoresistance ratio of ≈28% and large spin polarization of 0.36 at 2 K. Furthermore, a gradual evolution from tunneling to metallic spin‐valve behavior is found upon decreasing Al2O3 spacer thickness. The work is constructive and illuminating for connecting the 2D ferromagnetic electrodes with traditional tunneling spacers for fundamental research and device applications.
ISSN:2199-160X