Spin-polarized transport in magnetic tunnel junctions with ZnTe barriers

TL;DR

This paper reports the fabrication and analysis of magnetic tunnel junctions with ZnTe barriers, demonstrating low barrier height, sizable magnetoresistance, and spin-dependent tunneling effects at room temperature.

Contribution

It introduces a novel magnetic tunnel junction with ZnTe barriers, showing significant room-temperature magnetoresistance and elucidating the tunneling mechanisms involved.

Findings

Low barrier height observed in Fe/ZnTe/Fe junctions

Sizable magnetoresistance at room temperature

Conductance dominated by direct tunneling with minor defect-related hopping

Abstract

Magnetic tunnel junctions with wide band gap semiconductor ZnTe barrier were fabricated. A very low barrier height and sizable magnetoresistance were observed in the Fe/ZnTe/Fe junctions at room temperature. The nonlinear I-V characteristic curve confirmed the observed magnetoresistance is due to spin-dependent tunneling effect. Temperature dependent study indicated that the total conductance of the junction is dominated by direct tunneling, with only a small portion from the hopping conduction through the defect states inside the barrier.