Spin Injection: Interface Resistance in Fe/Semiconductor Junctions Calculated from First Principles

TL;DR

This paper uses first-principles calculations to analyze spin polarization and interface resistance in Fe/semiconductor junctions, considering Schottky barriers, to inform efficient non-ballistic spin injection.

Contribution

It provides a first-principles estimation of interface resistance and barrier thickness for spin injection in Fe/GaAs and Fe/ZnSe junctions, including Schottky barriers.

Findings

Calculated interface resistance values for Fe/GaAs and Fe/ZnSe.

Estimated barrier thickness for efficient non-ballistic spin injection.

Analyzed the impact of Schottky barriers on spin injection efficiency.

Abstract

We calculate the current spin polarisation and the interface resistance of Fe/GaAs and Fe/ZnSe (001) spin injection junctions from first principles, including also the possibility of a Schottky barrier. From our results of interface resistance we estimate the barrier thickness needed for efficient spin injection if the process is non-ballistic.