Impact of Spin-Orbit Coupling on Quantum Transport in Magnetic Tunnel Junction with an anti-ferromagnetic Capping Layer

TL;DR

This study uses first-principles calculations to show that anti-ferromagnetic IrMn capping layers significantly enhance tunneling magnetoresistance in magnetic tunnel junctions, especially when spin-orbit coupling is considered, with implications for spintronic devices.

Contribution

It demonstrates the impact of anti-ferromagnetic IrMn layers on TMR enhancement and elucidates the role of spin-orbit coupling and lattice strain in this process.

Findings

IrMn capping yields higher TMR than non-magnetic metals.

Spin-orbit coupling further increases TMR, especially in IrMn-based MTJs.

Lattice mismatch induces orbital reconstruction, aiding TMR enhancement.

Abstract

Using first-principles calculations, we explore the role of an anti-ferromagnetic heavy-metal, L1$_0$-IrMn, as a capping layer in a perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction (\emph{p}-MTJ). A comparative study is conducted by employing conventional non-magnetic heavy-metals (Ta, W or Mo) capping layers along with an anti-ferromagnetic IrMn in a symmetric-MTJ X/FeCo/MgO/FeCo/X, where X=Ta, W, Mo or IrMn. Firstly, the calculations without including spin-orbit coupling (SOC) are presented where the highest TMR is achieved in IrMn-IrMn MTJ compared to that of Ta-Ta, W-W and Mo-Mo MTJs. The origin of this large TMR is attributed to, both, the large spin-polarization due to reduced lattice-mismatch and the non-identical signatures of both the anti-parallel conduction-channels caused by the anti-ferromagnetic ordering of IrMn that reflects the spins at IrMn/FeCo interface. Moreover, when SOC is switched-on, the increase of TMR is observed in all the MTJs with a particularly giant enhancement in IrMn-IrMn MTJ. This SOC-induced increase in TMR is ascribed to the mixed contribution of $\Delta_1$ and $\Delta_5$ states and the additional increase in the band levels of the out-of-plane orbitals, \emph{p}$_z$, \emph{d}$_{z}^2$ and \emph{d}$_{xz}$ due to the lifting of degeneracy. Furthermore, it was also observed that the lattice-mismatch-induced strain might create an orbital reconstruction within the capping layer, probably, due to the crystallographic deformation and, in turn, in the adjacent FeCo-electrode. This microscopic mechanism also plays an additional decisive role in enhancing the TMR. Finally, our results indicate that IrMn can offer giant TMR in future spin-orbit toque (SOT) based MRAM devices with a straightforward design strategy.