Temperature dependence of resistance in epitaxial Fe/MgO/Fe magnetic tunnel junctions

Q. L. Ma; S. G. Wang; J. Zhang; Yan Wang; R. C.C. Ward; C. Wang; A. Kohn; X. G. Zhang; X. F. Han

doi:10.1063/1.3194150

Temperature dependence of resistance in epitaxial Fe/MgO/Fe magnetic tunnel junctions

Q. L. Ma, S. G. Wang, J. Zhang, Yan Wang, R. C.C. Ward, C. Wang, A. Kohn, X. G. Zhang, X. F. Han

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Abstract

The temperature dependence of resistance in parallel (P) and antiparallel (AP) configurations (R_P,AP) has been investigated in epitaxial Fe/MgO/Fe junctions with varying MgO barrier thicknesses tMgO. RAP exhibits a substantial decrease with increasing temperature for samples with tMgO ranging from 3.0 to 1.5 nm. In contrast, R_P is approximately temperature independent when t_MgO =3.0 nm and increases with temperature when tMgO =2.1 and 1.5 nm. Possible origins of this temperature dependence of resistance, which include taking into account a spin independent term and consideration of spin-flip scattering, are discussed. We attribute the temperature dependence of R_P,AP to the misalignment of magnetic moments in the electrodes due to thermal excitations and its effect on the spin dependent tunneling.

Original language	English
Article number	052506
Journal	Applied Physics Letters
Volume	95
Issue number	5
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3194150
State	Published - 14 Aug 2009
Externally published	Yes

ASJC Scopus subject areas

Physics and Astronomy (miscellaneous)

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@article{f3f79413f8c34beea1a04cad43e71f90,

title = "Temperature dependence of resistance in epitaxial Fe/MgO/Fe magnetic tunnel junctions",

abstract = "The temperature dependence of resistance in parallel (P) and antiparallel (AP) configurations (RP,AP) has been investigated in epitaxial Fe/MgO/Fe junctions with varying MgO barrier thicknesses tMgO. RAP exhibits a substantial decrease with increasing temperature for samples with tMgO ranging from 3.0 to 1.5 nm. In contrast, RP is approximately temperature independent when tMgO =3.0 nm and increases with temperature when tMgO =2.1 and 1.5 nm. Possible origins of this temperature dependence of resistance, which include taking into account a spin independent term and consideration of spin-flip scattering, are discussed. We attribute the temperature dependence of RP,AP to the misalignment of magnetic moments in the electrodes due to thermal excitations and its effect on the spin dependent tunneling.",

author = "Ma, {Q. L.} and Wang, {S. G.} and J. Zhang and Yan Wang and Ward, {R. C.C.} and C. Wang and A. Kohn and Zhang, {X. G.} and Han, {X. F.}",

note = "Funding Information: The project is supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2009CB929203) and the State Key Project of Fundamental Research of Ministry of Science and Technology (Grant No. 2006CB932200) and National Natural Science Foundation (Grant Nos. 10874225, 50721001, and 60871048). Partial support is from the joint projects of NSFC-the Royal Society (U.K.), NSFC-Australia DEST, and K. C. Wong Education Foundation, Hong Kong. S.G.W. is grateful to the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council of U.K. for financial support.",

year = "2009",

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doi = "10.1063/1.3194150",

language = "English",

volume = "95",

journal = "Applied Physics Letters",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Temperature dependence of resistance in epitaxial Fe/MgO/Fe magnetic tunnel junctions

AU - Ma, Q. L.

AU - Wang, S. G.

AU - Zhang, J.

AU - Wang, Yan

AU - Ward, R. C.C.

AU - Wang, C.

AU - Kohn, A.

AU - Zhang, X. G.

AU - Han, X. F.

N1 - Funding Information: The project is supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2009CB929203) and the State Key Project of Fundamental Research of Ministry of Science and Technology (Grant No. 2006CB932200) and National Natural Science Foundation (Grant Nos. 10874225, 50721001, and 60871048). Partial support is from the joint projects of NSFC-the Royal Society (U.K.), NSFC-Australia DEST, and K. C. Wong Education Foundation, Hong Kong. S.G.W. is grateful to the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council of U.K. for financial support.

PY - 2009/8/14

Y1 - 2009/8/14

N2 - The temperature dependence of resistance in parallel (P) and antiparallel (AP) configurations (RP,AP) has been investigated in epitaxial Fe/MgO/Fe junctions with varying MgO barrier thicknesses tMgO. RAP exhibits a substantial decrease with increasing temperature for samples with tMgO ranging from 3.0 to 1.5 nm. In contrast, RP is approximately temperature independent when tMgO =3.0 nm and increases with temperature when tMgO =2.1 and 1.5 nm. Possible origins of this temperature dependence of resistance, which include taking into account a spin independent term and consideration of spin-flip scattering, are discussed. We attribute the temperature dependence of RP,AP to the misalignment of magnetic moments in the electrodes due to thermal excitations and its effect on the spin dependent tunneling.

AB - The temperature dependence of resistance in parallel (P) and antiparallel (AP) configurations (RP,AP) has been investigated in epitaxial Fe/MgO/Fe junctions with varying MgO barrier thicknesses tMgO. RAP exhibits a substantial decrease with increasing temperature for samples with tMgO ranging from 3.0 to 1.5 nm. In contrast, RP is approximately temperature independent when tMgO =3.0 nm and increases with temperature when tMgO =2.1 and 1.5 nm. Possible origins of this temperature dependence of resistance, which include taking into account a spin independent term and consideration of spin-flip scattering, are discussed. We attribute the temperature dependence of RP,AP to the misalignment of magnetic moments in the electrodes due to thermal excitations and its effect on the spin dependent tunneling.

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DO - 10.1063/1.3194150

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VL - 95

JO - Applied Physics Letters

JF - Applied Physics Letters

IS - 5

M1 - 052506

ER -

Temperature dependence of resistance in epitaxial Fe/MgO/Fe magnetic tunnel junctions

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