Effect of interfacial structures on spin dependent tunneling in epitaxial L 10-FePt/MgO/FePt perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions

G. Yang; D. L. Li; S. G. Wang; Q. L. Ma; S. H. Liang; H. X. Wei; X. F. Han; T. Hesjedal; R. C.C. Ward; A. Kohn; A. Elkayam; N. Tal; X. G. Zhang

doi:10.1063/1.4913265

Effect of interfacial structures on spin dependent tunneling in epitaxial L 1₀-FePt/MgO/FePt perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions

G. Yang, D. L. Li, S. G. Wang, Q. L. Ma, S. H. Liang, H. X. Wei, X. F. Han, T. Hesjedal, R. C.C. Ward, A. Kohn, A. Elkayam, N. Tal, X. G. Zhang

Department of Materials Engineering

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

22 Scopus citations

Abstract

Epitaxial FePt(001)/MgO/FePt magnetic tunnel junctions with L1₀-FePt electrodes showing perpendicular magnetic anisotropy were fabricated by molecular beam epitaxial growth. Tunnel magnetoresistance ratios of 21% and 53% were obtained at 300 K and 10 K, respectively. Our previous work, based on transmission electron microscopy, confirmed a semi-coherent interfacial structure with atomic steps (Kohn et al., APL 102, 062403 (2013)). Here, we show by x-ray photoemission spectroscopy and first-principles calculation that the bottom FePt/MgO interface is either Pt-terminated for regular growth or when an Fe layer is inserted at the interface, it is chemically bonded to O. Both these structures have a dominant role in spin dependent tunneling across the MgO barrier resulting in a decrease of the tunneling magnetoresistance ratio compared with previous predictions.

Original language	English
Article number	083904
Journal	Journal of Applied Physics
Volume	117
Issue number	8
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4913265
State	Published - 28 Feb 2015

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Physics and Astronomy

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Yang, G., Li, D. L., Wang, S. G., Ma, Q. L., Liang, S. H., Wei, H. X., Han, X. F., Hesjedal, T., Ward, R. C. C., Kohn, A., Elkayam, A., Tal, N., & Zhang, X. G. (2015). Effect of interfacial structures on spin dependent tunneling in epitaxial L 1₀-FePt/MgO/FePt perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions. Journal of Applied Physics, 117(8), Article 083904. https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4913265

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title = "Effect of interfacial structures on spin dependent tunneling in epitaxial L 10-FePt/MgO/FePt perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions",

abstract = "Epitaxial FePt(001)/MgO/FePt magnetic tunnel junctions with L10-FePt electrodes showing perpendicular magnetic anisotropy were fabricated by molecular beam epitaxial growth. Tunnel magnetoresistance ratios of 21% and 53% were obtained at 300 K and 10 K, respectively. Our previous work, based on transmission electron microscopy, confirmed a semi-coherent interfacial structure with atomic steps (Kohn et al., APL 102, 062403 (2013)). Here, we show by x-ray photoemission spectroscopy and first-principles calculation that the bottom FePt/MgO interface is either Pt-terminated for regular growth or when an Fe layer is inserted at the interface, it is chemically bonded to O. Both these structures have a dominant role in spin dependent tunneling across the MgO barrier resulting in a decrease of the tunneling magnetoresistance ratio compared with previous predictions.",

author = "G. Yang and Li, {D. L.} and Wang, {S. G.} and Ma, {Q. L.} and Liang, {S. H.} and Wei, {H. X.} and Han, {X. F.} and T. Hesjedal and Ward, {R. C.C.} and A. Kohn and A. Elkayam and N. Tal and Zhang, {X. G.}",

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year = "2015",

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day = "28",

doi = "10.1063/1.4913265",

language = "English",

volume = "117",

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T1 - Effect of interfacial structures on spin dependent tunneling in epitaxial L 10-FePt/MgO/FePt perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions

AU - Yang, G.

AU - Li, D. L.

AU - Wang, S. G.

AU - Ma, Q. L.

AU - Liang, S. H.

AU - Wei, H. X.

AU - Han, X. F.

AU - Hesjedal, T.

AU - Ward, R. C.C.

AU - Kohn, A.

AU - Elkayam, A.

AU - Tal, N.

AU - Zhang, X. G.

PY - 2015/2/28

Y1 - 2015/2/28

N2 - Epitaxial FePt(001)/MgO/FePt magnetic tunnel junctions with L10-FePt electrodes showing perpendicular magnetic anisotropy were fabricated by molecular beam epitaxial growth. Tunnel magnetoresistance ratios of 21% and 53% were obtained at 300 K and 10 K, respectively. Our previous work, based on transmission electron microscopy, confirmed a semi-coherent interfacial structure with atomic steps (Kohn et al., APL 102, 062403 (2013)). Here, we show by x-ray photoemission spectroscopy and first-principles calculation that the bottom FePt/MgO interface is either Pt-terminated for regular growth or when an Fe layer is inserted at the interface, it is chemically bonded to O. Both these structures have a dominant role in spin dependent tunneling across the MgO barrier resulting in a decrease of the tunneling magnetoresistance ratio compared with previous predictions.

AB - Epitaxial FePt(001)/MgO/FePt magnetic tunnel junctions with L10-FePt electrodes showing perpendicular magnetic anisotropy were fabricated by molecular beam epitaxial growth. Tunnel magnetoresistance ratios of 21% and 53% were obtained at 300 K and 10 K, respectively. Our previous work, based on transmission electron microscopy, confirmed a semi-coherent interfacial structure with atomic steps (Kohn et al., APL 102, 062403 (2013)). Here, we show by x-ray photoemission spectroscopy and first-principles calculation that the bottom FePt/MgO interface is either Pt-terminated for regular growth or when an Fe layer is inserted at the interface, it is chemically bonded to O. Both these structures have a dominant role in spin dependent tunneling across the MgO barrier resulting in a decrease of the tunneling magnetoresistance ratio compared with previous predictions.

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VL - 117

JO - Journal of Applied Physics

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ER -

Effect of interfacial structures on spin dependent tunneling in epitaxial L 1₀-FePt/MgO/FePt perpendicular magnetic tunnel junctions

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