Spin-valve Effect in NiFe/MoS2/NiFe Junctions

TL;DR

This study demonstrates the first MoS2-based spin-valve with metallic behavior due to hybridization, showing magnetoresistance up to 0.73% at 240 K, highlighting TMDs' potential in spintronics.

Contribution

Introduces the first MoS2-based spin-valve with experimental and theoretical analysis, revealing metallic behavior and spin-valve effects in TMDs for spintronic applications.

Findings

Spin-valve effect observed up to 240 K.

Magnetoresistance reaches 0.73% at low temperatures.

Theoretical MR of ~9% for ideal junctions.

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have been recently proposed as appealing candidate materials for spintronic applications owing to their distinctive atomic crystal structure and exotic physical properties arising from the large bonding anisotropy. Here we introduce the first MoS2-based spin-valves that employ monolayer MoS2 as the nonmagnetic spacer. In contrast with what expected from the semiconducting band-structure of MoS2, the vertically sandwiched-MoS2 layers exhibit metallic behavior. This originates from their strong hybridization with the Ni and Fe atoms of the Permalloy (Py) electrode. The spin-valve effect is observed up to 240 K, with the highest magnetoresistance (MR) up to 0.73% at low temperatures. The experimental work is accompanied by the first principle electron transport calculations, which reveal an MR of ~ 9% for an ideal Py/MoS2/Py junction. Our results clearly identify TMDs as a promising spacer compound in magnetic tunnel junctions and may open a new avenue for the TMDs-based spintronic applications.