Temperature and bias voltage dependences of magnetic tunnel junction with FeAlSi electrode

Shoma Akamatsu; Byung Hun Lee; Yasen Hou; Masakiyo Tsunoda; Mikihiko Oogane; Geoffrey S. D. Beach; Jagadeesh S. Moodera

doi:10.1063/5.0189570

APL Materials (Feb 2024)

Temperature and bias voltage dependences of magnetic tunnel junction with FeAlSi electrode

Shoma Akamatsu,
Byung Hun Lee,
Yasen Hou,
Masakiyo Tsunoda,
Mikihiko Oogane,
Geoffrey S. D. Beach,
Jagadeesh S. Moodera

Affiliations

Shoma Akamatsu: Francis Bitter Magnet Laboratory, Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
Byung Hun Lee: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
Yasen Hou: Francis Bitter Magnet Laboratory, Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
Masakiyo Tsunoda: Department of Electronic Engineering, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
Mikihiko Oogane: Department of Applied Physics, Graduate School of Engineering, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8579, Japan
Geoffrey S. D. Beach: Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA
Jagadeesh S. Moodera: Francis Bitter Magnet Laboratory, Plasma Science and Fusion Center, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139, USA

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0189570
Journal volume & issue: Vol. 12, no. 2
pp. 021101 – 021101-9

Abstract

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We fabricated magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with FeAlSi free layers and investigated the tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) properties. We found that the temperature and bias voltage dependences of the TMR effect in FeAlSi-MTJs were almost the same as MTJs with Fe free layers despite the low Curie temperature of FeAlSi. In the inelastic electron tunneling spectroscopy measured at low temperatures, the relatively large cutoff energy of magnon excitation at the FeAlSi and MgO interface was confirmed. In addition, we studied for the first time the exchange stiffness constant of FeAlSi films by Brillouin light scattering. The determined value of the stiffness constant of FeAlSi was 14.3 (pJ/m), which was similar to that of Fe. Both the large magnon cutoff at the interface and the stiffness constant of FeAlSi are considered to be the reason for the good temperature and voltage dependences of FeAlSi-MTJs.

Published in APL Materials

ISSN: 2166-532X (Online)
Publisher: AIP Publishing LLC
Country of publisher: United States
LCC subjects: Technology: Chemical technology: Biotechnology; Science: Physics
Website: http://aplmaterials.aip.org

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