Ali A Shokri and Alireza Saffarzadeh 2004 J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 16 4455 doi:10.1088/0953-8984/16/25/006
Ali A Shokri1 and Alireza Saffarzadeh2,3
Show affiliationsThe spin-polarized transport is investigated in a new type of magnetic tunnel junction which consists of two ferromagnetic electrodes separated by a magnetic barrier and a nonmagnetic metallic spacer. Based on the transfer matrix method and the nearly-free-electron approximation the dependence of the tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) and electron-spin polarization on the nonmagnetic layer thickness and the applied bias voltage are studied theoretically. The TMR and spin polarization show an oscillatory behaviour as a function of the spacer thickness and the bias voltage. The oscillations originate from the quantum well states in the spacer, while the existence of the magnetic barrier gives rise to a strong spin polarization and high values of the TMR. Our results may be useful for the development of spin electronic devices based on coherent transport.
75.75.+a Magnetic properties of nanostructures
75.70.Cn Magnetic properties of interfaces (multilayers, superlattices, heterostructures)
Condensed matter: electrical, magnetic and optical
Issue 25 (30 June 2004)
Received 24 February 2004
Published 11 June 2004
Ali A Shokri and Alireza Saffarzadeh 2004 J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 16 4455
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