1. FeGa/MgO/Fe/GaAs(001) magnetic tunnel junction: Growth and magnetic properties
- Author
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B. Gobaut (a), R. Cipriani (b), B.R. Salles (b), D. Krizmancic (b), G. Rossi (b, G. Panaccione (b), M. Eddrief (c, M. Marangolo (c, P. Torelli(b), Institut des Nanosciences de Paris (INSP), and Université Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 (UPMC)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)
- Subjects
Magneto strictive ,Magnetostrictive ,Galfenol ,Magnetic tunnel junction ,XMCD ,Materials science ,Condensed matter physics ,Spintronics ,Magnetostrictive, Galfenol, Magnetic tunnel junction, XMCD ,Magnetostriction ,Condensed Matter::Mesoscopic Systems and Quantum Hall Effect ,Condensed Matter Physics ,Electronic, Optical and Magnetic Materials ,Condensed Matter::Materials Science ,Tunnel magnetoresistance ,Magnetic anisotropy ,Hysteresis ,Ferromagnetism ,Magneto-optic Kerr effect ,Condensed Matter::Superconductivity ,Multiferroics ,[PHYS.COND]Physics [physics]/Condensed Matter [cond-mat] - Abstract
International audience; Research on spintronics and on multiferroics leads now to the possibility of combining the properties of these materials in order to develop new functional devices. Here we report the integration of a layer of magnetostrictive material into a magnetic tunnel junction. A FeGa/MgO/Fe heterostructure has been grown on a GaAs(001) substrate by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and studied by X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD). The comparison between magneto optical Kerr effect (MOKE) measurements and hysteresis performed in total electron yield allowed distinguishing the ferromagnetic hysteresis loop of the FeGa top layer from that of the Fe buried layer, evidencing a different switching field of the two layers. This observation indicates an absence of magnetic coupling between the two ferromagnetic layers despite the thickness of the MgO barrier of only 2.5 nm. The in plane magnetic anisotropy has also been investigated. Overall results show the good quality of the heterostructure and the general feasibility of such a device using magnetostrictive materials in magnetic tunnel junction. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved
- Published
- 2015