Co-doped (La, Sr)TiO(3-delta) : a high Curie temperature diluted magnetic system with large spin polarization

We report on tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) experiments that demonstrate the existence of a significant spin polarization in Co-doped (La, Sr)TiO(3-delta) (Co-LSTO), a ferromagnetic diluted magnetic oxide system (DMOS) with high Curie temperature. These TMR experiments have been performed on magnetic tunnel junctions associating Co-LSTO and Co electrodes. Extensive structural analysis of Co-LSTO combining high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and Auger electron spectroscopy excluded the presence of Co clusters in the Co-LSTO layer and thus, the measured ferromagnetism and high spin polarization are intrinsic properties of this DMOS. Our results argue for the DMOS approach with complex oxide materials in spintronics.     

Origin of the tunnel anisotropic magnetoresistance in Ga(1-x)Mn(x)As/ZnSe/Ga(1-x)Mn(x)As magnetic tunnel junctions of II-VI/III-V heterostructures

We investigated spin-dependent transport in magnetic tunnel junctions made of III-V Ga(1-x)Mn(x)As electrodes and II-VI ZnSe tunnel barriers. The high tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) ratio up to 100% we observed indicates high spin polarization at the barrier/electrodes interfaces. We found anisotropic tunneling conductance having a magnitude of 10% with respect to the direction of magnetization to linearly depend on the magnetic anisotropy energy of Ga(1-x)Mn(x)As. This proves that the spin-orbit interactions in the valence band of Ga(1-x)M(x)As are responsible for the tunnel anisotropic magnetoresistance (TAMR) effect.     

Observation of minority spin character of the new electron doped manganite La0.7Ce0.3MnO3 from tunneling magnetoresistance

We report the magnetotransport characteristics of a trilayer ferromagnetic tunnel junction built of an electron doped manganite (La0.7Ce0.3MnO3) and a hole doped manganite (La0.7Ca0.3MnO3). At low temperatures the junction exhibits a large positive tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR), irrespective of the bias voltage. At intermediate temperatures below T(C) the sign of the TMR is dependent on the bias voltage across the junction. The magnetoresistive characteristics of the junction strongly suggest that La0.7Ce0.3MnO3 is a minority spin carrier ferromagnet with a high degree of spin polarization, i.e., a transport half-metal.     

稀土锰酸盐纳米颗粒复合体系的软化学制备及磁电阻增强效应

介绍了一类增强磁电阻效应的新型稀土锰酸盐多晶颗粒复合体系及其化学制备方法,并对增强的机理进行了初步的探讨。     

La1/8Ca7/8MnO3/Sr0.95Nb0.05TiO3异质结的整流特性和磁输运性质

在5%Nb掺杂的SrTiO3衬底上用磁控溅射法外延生长了La1/aCa7/aMnO3薄膜形成异质结,该异质结有类似于传统P-n结的整流特性.磁场下扩散电压减小,当温度低于130 K以下,扩散电压的减小非常明显.这和在此温度以下,La1/8Ca7/aMnO3出现自旋倾斜态密切相关.我们计算出异质结的结电阻和磁致电阻(MR),在不同大小的正负偏压,不同磁场下,都得到负的MR值.我们给出界面附近的La1/8Ca7/8MnO3的能带结构并分析了外加磁场对洪德耦合,Jahn-Teller畸变等机制的作用,来解释该异质结的磁输运行为.结果有助于了解高Ca掺杂锰氧化物异质结的性质.     

Nanosecond photoelectric effects in all-oxide p-n junction of La_(0.9)Sr_(0.1)MnO_3/SrNb_(0.01)Ti_(0.99)O_3

Since the discoveries of high Tc superconductors and colossal magnetoresistance, enormous efforts have been devoted to investigating the perovskite oxide materials. The fabrication of artificial crystalline materials through layer-by-layer epitaxial growth with full control over the composition and structure at the atomic level has become one of the most exciting areas of research in condensed matter physics and materials science. In related research, much attention has been paid to the new de…     

Giant tunneling electroresistance effect driven by an electrically controlled spin valve at a complex oxide interface

A giant tunneling electroresistance effect may be achieved in a ferroelectric tunnel junction by exploiting the magnetoelectric effect at the interface between the ferroelectric barrier and a magnetic La(1-x)Sr(x)MnO3 electrode. Using first-principles density-functional theory we demonstrate that a few magnetic monolayers of La(1-x)Sr(x)MnO3 near the interface act, in response to ferroelectric polarization reversal, as an atomic-scale spin valve by filtering spin-dependent current. This produces more than an order of magnitude change in conductance, and thus constitutes a giant resistive switching effect.     

Non-equilibrium Green's function approach to the quasiparticle transport and magnetoresistance in hybrid magnetic tunnel junctions

A generalized approach to study quasiparticle transport across hybrid magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) is formulated using the non-equilibrium Green's function technique. This formalism allows for arbitrary thicknesses of the electrodes and the central scattering region comprising of materials with multiple electronic bands, and incorporates the many body interactions present in the electrode regions. While the method can be used to study the transport characteristics of various types of MTJs, we have used it to study the tunneling characteristics and magnetoresistance (MR) of MTJs in which s-f interaction is present at the electrode layers. It is also used to study the transport characteristics of MTJs with hybrid electrodes and double barrier. The magnetic correlation present in the electrodes is found to strongly influence the TMR. Eventhough the magnetic correlation in general suppress the TMR, the TMR is found to be enhanced strongly for certain band occupations of the electrodes. We observe a fall of TMR with increase in the number of layers in the insulating region. Band occupation of the metallic layer present at the middle of the insulating layers in the double barrier MTJ is found to be important in deciding its tunnel characteristics. Origin of the different types of behavior of TMR is analyzed in terms of the spin-dependent tunnel currents.     

Electronic and magnetic reconstructions in La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures: a case of enhanced interlayer coupling controlled by the interface

We report on the magnetic coupling of La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 layers through SrTiO3 spacers in La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/SrTiO3 epitaxial heterostructures. Combined aberration-corrected microscopy and electron-energy-loss spectroscopy evidence charge transfer to the empty conduction band of the titanate. Ti d electrons interact via superexchange with Mn, giving rise to a Ti magnetic moment as demonstrated by x-ray magnetic circular dichroism. This induced magnetic moment in the SrTiO3 controls the bulk magnetic and transport properties of the superlattices when the titanate layer thickness is below 1 nm.     

Sb2O3的丰度对（1-x）La0.6Dy0.1Sr0.3MnO3/（x/2）（Sb2O3）电输运性质的影响

用固相反应法制备(1-x)La0.6Dy0.1Sr0.3MnO3/x/2(Sb2O3)(x=0.00,0.02,0.15)样品,通过X射线衍射(XRD)图谱,扫描电子显微镜(SEM)照片及SEM能谱(EDS),ρ～T曲线研究样品的结构及电输运性质.结果表明:Sb离子没有进入Mn位,Sb2O3包覆在La0.6Dy0.1Sr0.3MnO3颗粒表面,Sb2O3起助熔剂作用,使得复合样品的颗粒变大且大小相对均匀;复合样品的绝缘体-金属转变温度TP较纯的La0.6Dy0.1Sr0.3MnO3的TP提高20K左右,对x=0.15的样品电阻高峰值比纯的La0.6Dy0.1Sr0.3MnO3的峰值电阻率增大两个数量级,用自旋极化隧穿理论予以解释.     

Photoelectric Characteristic of La0.9Sr0.1MnO3/SrNb0.01Ti0.99O3 p-n Heterojunctions

Good rectifying current-voltage characteristics and nanosecond photoelectric effects are observed in the p-n hereto junctions of La0.9Sr0.1 MnO3/SrNb0.01 Ti0.99O3 fabricated by laser molecular beam epitaxy. The rise time is about 26ns and the full width at half maximum is about 125ns for the open-circuit, photovoltaic pulses when the La0.9Sr0.1MnO3 film in the heterojunction is irradiated by a laser operated at wavelength 308nm with pulse duration of about 25 ns. A qualitative explanation is presented, based on an analysis of the photoelectric effect of p-n hereto junction.     

Effect of Lattice Distortion on the Magnetic Tunnel Junctions Consisting of Periodic Grating Barrier and Half-Metallic Electrodes

A spintronic theory is developed to study the effect of lattice distortion on the magnetic tunnel junctions(MTJs)consisting of single-crystal barrier and half-metallic electrodes. In the theory, the lattice distortion is described by strain, defect concentration and recovery temperature. All three parameters will modify the periodic scattering potential, and further alter the tunneling magnetoresistance(TMR). The theoretical results show that:(1) the TMR oscillates with all the three parameters;(2) the strain can change the TMR about 30%;(3) the defect concentration will strongly modify the periodic scattering potential, and further change the TMR about 50%;and(4) the recovery temperature has little effect on the periodic scattering potential, and only can change the TMR about 10%. The present work may provide a theoretical foundation to the application of lattice distortion for MTJs consisting of single-crystal barrier and half-metallic electrodes.     

Spin-dependent rectification in the C 59 N molecule

Coherent spin-dependent electron transport is investigated in three conditions: (1) a C₆₀ molecule is connected to two ferromagnetic (FM) electrodes symmetrically, (2) a C₅₉N molecule is connected to two FM electrodes symmetrically and (3) a C₅₉N molecule is connected to two FM electrodes asymmetrically. This work is based on a single-band tight-binding model Hamiltonian and the Green’s function approach with the Landauer–Buttiker formalism. Electrodes used in this study are semi-infinite FM electrodes with finite cross-section. Obvious rectification effect is observed in the C₅₉N molecule which is connected to the FMelectrodes asymmetrically. This effect is more in the P alignment of FM electrodes than in AP alignment of FM electrodes. This study indicates that the rectification behaviour is due to the asymmetry in molecule and junctions. Also in this investigation tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) is calculated for these molecules. Asymmetry is observed in TMR of C₅₉N which is coupled to the electrodes asymmetrically due to asymmetric junctions, but TMR of C₆₀ is symmetric.     

Ag复合对La2/3(Ca0.45Sr0.55)1/3MnO3/xAg体系电输运和室温磁电阻效应影响

文中采用甘氨酸-硝酸盐法分别制备了La2/3(Ca0.45Sr0.55)1/3MnO3/xAg纳米复合材料(x=0;0.1;0.2;0.3).通过X射线衍射、扫描电子显微镜和磁电阻效应测试,对合成产物的结构及性能进行表征.结果表明,随Ag复合量增加,样品均为正交钙钛矿结构,低场室温磁电阻效应增强,电阻率减小.     

Observation of two Andreev-like energy scales in La2-xSrxCuO4 superconductor-normal-metal-superconductor junctions

Conductance spectra measurements of highly transparent junctions made of superconducting La2-xSrxCuO4 electrodes and a nonsuperconducting La1.65Sr0.35CuO4 barrier are reported. At low temperatures below Tc, these junctions have two prominent Andreev-like conductance peaks with clear steps at energies Δ1 and Δ2 with Δ2>2Δ1. No such peaks appear above Tc. The doping dependence at 2 K shows that both Δ1 and Δ2 scale roughly as Tc. Δ1 is identified as the superconducting energy gap, while a few scenarios are proposed as for the origin of Δ2.     

Angular dependence of tunneling magnetoresistance in magnetic semiconductor heterostructures

Theoretical studies on spin-dependent transport in magnetic tunnel heterostructures consisting of two diluted magnetic semiconductors (DMS) separated by a nonmagnetic semiconductor (NMS) barrier, are carried in the limit of coherent regime by including the effect of angular dependence of the magnetizations in DMS. Based on parabolic valence band effective mass approximation and spontaneous magnetization of DMS electrodes, we obtain an analytical expression of angular dependence of transmission for DMS/NMS/DMS junctions. We also examine the dependence of spin polarization and tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) on barrier thickness, temperature, applied voltage and the relative angle between the magnetizations of two DMS layers in GaMnAs/GaAs/GaMnAs heterostructures. We discuss the theoretical interpretation of this variation. Our results show that TMR of more than 65% are obtained at zero temperature, when one GaAs monolayer is used as a tunnel barrier. It is also shown that the TMR decreases rapidly with increasing barrier width and applied voltage; however at high voltages and low thicknesses, the TMR first increases and then decreases. Our calculations explain the main features of the recent experimental observations and the application of the predicted results may prove useful in designing nano spin-valve devices.     

Magnetic-field-dependent carrier injection at La2/3Sr1/3MnO3/ and organic semiconductors interfaces

We have fabricated organic diodes utilizing several pi-conjugated organic semiconductors (OSEC) as spacer layers between La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 (LSMO) and various metallic electrodes, and measured their magnetoresistance (MR) and magnetoelectroluminescence (MEL) responses. The devices exhibit large negative high-field MR responses that resemble the MR response of the LSMO electrode, but amplified by approximately 3 orders in the resistance, and accompanied by a positive high-field MEL effect. These magnetic-field effects result from enhanced carrier injection at the LSMO-OSEC interface that is attributed to the anomalous field-dependent Fermi level shift in LSMO.     

Tunneling magnetoresistance on the subnanometer scale

The influence of the finite thickness and structure, amorphous or crystalline, of Fe electrodes on the tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) ratio is investigated by ab initio calculations in Fe/MgO/Fe tunnel junctions. An amorphous Fe layer in direct contact with the MgO barrier causes a low TMR ratio of only 44%. By inserting crystalline Fe monolayers between the barrier and the amorphous Fe the TMR ratio increases rapidly and reaches the same level as for semi-infinite Fe electrodes. Even one crystalline Fe monolayer is sufficient to achieve a giant TMR ratio exceeding 500%. Omitting the amorphous Fe has nearly no influence on the results if there are more than two monolayers of crystalline Fe next to the barrier. The results demonstrate that the reservoirs can even be nonmagnetic. The TMR emerges from the interplay of symmetry selection in the barrier and spin filtering at the electrode-barrier interface.     

钙钛矿氧化物异质结自旋极化输运机制研究

文章介绍了一个基于弱Hund耦合规则以及载流子漂移扩散机制所提出的关于钙钛矿氧化物p-n异质结构的自旋极化输运机制的物理模型．该理论不仅可以很好地解释由具有负磁阻效应的La0.9Sr0．1MnO3（LSMO）与非磁性的SrNb0.01Ti0.99O3（SNTO）所组成的异质结中所存在的正磁电阻效应，同时揭示了该体系中LSMO在界面区域的载流子与远离界面区域的载流子具有不同的自旋极化方向．这一结果将为理解钙钛矿氧化物异质结及多层膜的自旋极化输运机制开辟了一条新的途径．