Generation of spin-polarized electronic currents using perpendicularly magnetized cobalt ferrite spin-filtering barriers grown on spinel-type-conductive layers

Abstract

We demonstrated the generation of perpendicularly spin-polarized electronic currents using a tunnel spin-filtering effect through insulative Fe-rich cobalt ferrite CoxFe3−xO4+δ (I-CFO) barriers with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA). The I-CFO films grown on conductive Fe-rich cobalt ferrite CoyFe3−yO4 (C-CFO) films, which were deposited on additional I-CFO buffer layers on MgO(001) substrates, exhibited PMA induced by an epitaxial strain. Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), which comprise C-CFO electrode layers, I-CFO barrier layers, and perpendicularly magnetized Co/{Tb/Co}15/Co spin detection layers, showed a tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) effect. This indicated that spin-polarized tunnel currents were injected into the spin detection layers. A spin injection efficiency of −28% was observed for the MTJs with an I-CFO barrier of 3.0 nm in thickness at 100 K. The voltage dependence of the TMR effect indicates that the spin-injection efficiency is affected by voltage-dependent changes in the effective spin-dependent barrier width. The combination of spinel-type C-CFO and I-CFO films with well-controlled compositions and lattice strains is, therefore, applicable as a spin-injection source for spintronics devices when perpendicularly spin-polarized electronic currents are required.