Large Spin Polarization from symmetry-breaking Antiferromagnets in Antiferromagnetic Tunnel Junctions
Efficient detection of the magnetic state is a critical step towards useful antiferromagnet-based spintronic devices. Recently, finite tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) has been demonstrated in tunnel junctions with antiferromagnetic electrodes, however, these studies have been mostly limited to jun...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , |
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| 格式: | Journal article |
| 语言: | English |
| 出版: |
Nature Research
2024
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| _version_ | 1826314531996958720 |
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| author | Chou, C Ghosh, S McGoldrick, BC Nguyen, T Gurung, G Tsymbal, EY Li, M Mkhoyan, KA Liu, L |
| author_facet | Chou, C Ghosh, S McGoldrick, BC Nguyen, T Gurung, G Tsymbal, EY Li, M Mkhoyan, KA Liu, L |
| author_sort | Chou, C |
| collection | OXFORD |
| description | Efficient detection of the magnetic state is a critical step towards useful antiferromagnet-based spintronic devices. Recently, finite tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) has been demonstrated in tunnel junctions with antiferromagnetic electrodes, however, these studies have been mostly limited to junctions with two identical antiferromagnet (AFM) electrodes, where the matching of the spin-split Fermi surfaces played critical role. It remains unclear if AFMs can provide a finite net spin polarization, and hence be used as a spin polarizer or detector. In this work, we experimentally fabricate single-sided antiferromagnetic tunnel junctions consisting of one AFM electrode (Mn3Sn) and one ferromagnet (FM) electrode (CoFeB), where the spin polarized tunneling transport from AFM is detected by the FM layer. We observe a high TMR at cryogenic temperature (>100% at 10 K) in these asymmetric AFM tunnel junctions, suggesting a large effective spin polarization from Mn3Sn despite its nearly vanishing magnetization. The large TMR is consistent with recent theoretical studies where the broken symmetry in non-collinear AFMs is predicted to lift the spin degeneracy in the band structure. Our work provides strong evidence that spin polarized electrical transport can be achieved from AFMs. |
| first_indexed | 2024-09-25T04:35:29Z |
| format | Journal article |
| id | oxford-uuid:b2f94e5b-eb72-4c8c-a6a0-22b3cb1599bf |
| institution | University of Oxford |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-09-25T04:35:29Z |
| publishDate | 2024 |
| publisher | Nature Research |
| record_format | dspace |
| spelling | oxford-uuid:b2f94e5b-eb72-4c8c-a6a0-22b3cb1599bf2024-09-16T20:03:27ZLarge Spin Polarization from symmetry-breaking Antiferromagnets in Antiferromagnetic Tunnel JunctionsJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:b2f94e5b-eb72-4c8c-a6a0-22b3cb1599bfEnglishJisc Publications RouterNature Research2024Chou, CGhosh, SMcGoldrick, BCNguyen, TGurung, GTsymbal, EYLi, MMkhoyan, KALiu, LEfficient detection of the magnetic state is a critical step towards useful antiferromagnet-based spintronic devices. Recently, finite tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) has been demonstrated in tunnel junctions with antiferromagnetic electrodes, however, these studies have been mostly limited to junctions with two identical antiferromagnet (AFM) electrodes, where the matching of the spin-split Fermi surfaces played critical role. It remains unclear if AFMs can provide a finite net spin polarization, and hence be used as a spin polarizer or detector. In this work, we experimentally fabricate single-sided antiferromagnetic tunnel junctions consisting of one AFM electrode (Mn3Sn) and one ferromagnet (FM) electrode (CoFeB), where the spin polarized tunneling transport from AFM is detected by the FM layer. We observe a high TMR at cryogenic temperature (>100% at 10 K) in these asymmetric AFM tunnel junctions, suggesting a large effective spin polarization from Mn3Sn despite its nearly vanishing magnetization. The large TMR is consistent with recent theoretical studies where the broken symmetry in non-collinear AFMs is predicted to lift the spin degeneracy in the band structure. Our work provides strong evidence that spin polarized electrical transport can be achieved from AFMs. |
| spellingShingle | Chou, C Ghosh, S McGoldrick, BC Nguyen, T Gurung, G Tsymbal, EY Li, M Mkhoyan, KA Liu, L Large Spin Polarization from symmetry-breaking Antiferromagnets in Antiferromagnetic Tunnel Junctions |
| title | Large Spin Polarization from symmetry-breaking Antiferromagnets in Antiferromagnetic Tunnel Junctions |
| title_full | Large Spin Polarization from symmetry-breaking Antiferromagnets in Antiferromagnetic Tunnel Junctions |
| title_fullStr | Large Spin Polarization from symmetry-breaking Antiferromagnets in Antiferromagnetic Tunnel Junctions |
| title_full_unstemmed | Large Spin Polarization from symmetry-breaking Antiferromagnets in Antiferromagnetic Tunnel Junctions |
| title_short | Large Spin Polarization from symmetry-breaking Antiferromagnets in Antiferromagnetic Tunnel Junctions |
| title_sort | large spin polarization from symmetry breaking antiferromagnets in antiferromagnetic tunnel junctions |
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