Spin-Dependent Tunneling in Magnetic Tunnel Junctions with a Layered Antiferromagnetic Cr(001) Spacer: Role of Band Structure and Interface Scattering

T. Nagahama, S. Yuasa, E. Tamura, and Y. Suzuki

Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 086602 – Published 15 August 2005

Abstract

The tunnel magnetoresistance effect (TMR), which is intrinsically determined by the interface monolayer of an electrode, was realized by using magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with a single-crystal Cr(001) layer inserted between a tunnel barrier and an electrode. The MTJs showed an oscillation of the TMR ratio as a function of the thickness of the Cr(001) layer with a period of 2 monatomic layers, which corresponds to the layered antiferromagnetic structure of Cr(001). These oscillations originate from electron scattering at the interface, due to the mismatching of the symmetry of the wave functions and band structure in Cr(001).

Received 20 May 2004

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.95.086602

Authors & Affiliations

T. Nagahama^*, S. Yuasa, E. Tamura, and Y. Suzuki^†

NanoElectronics Research Institute, AIST, Tsukuba Central 2 Umezono 1-1 Tsukuba Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan and CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Honcho 4-1-8 Kawaguchi Saitama 332-0012, Japan

^*Electronic address: taro-nagahama@aist.go.jp
^†Also at Department of Materials Engineering Science, Graduate School of Engineering Science, Osaka University.

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Vol. 95, Iss. 8 — 19 August 2005

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