Determining Exchange Splitting in a Magnetic Semiconductor by Spin-Filter Tunneling

Abstract

A large exchange splitting of the conduction band in ultrathin films of the ferromagnetic semiconductor EuO was determined quantitatively, by using EuO as a tunnel barrier and fitting the current-voltage characteristics and temperature dependence to tunneling theory. This exchange splitting leads to different tunnel barrier heights for spin-up and spin-down electrons, and is large enough to produce a near fully spin-polarized current. Moreover, the magnetic properties of these ultrathin films (<6 nm) show a reduction in Curie temperature with decreasing thickness, in agreement with theoretical calculation.

Open PDF

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 20, 2008
Accession Number
ADA513021

Entities

People

  • E. Arenholz
  • E. Negusse
  • J. Holroyd
  • J. S. Moodera
  • Jan Dvořák
  • K. Venkataraman
  • M. Lierati
  • Tiffany Santos
  • Y. U. Idzerda

Organizations

  • University of California, Berkeley

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Advanced Electronics

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Charge Carriers
  • Conduction Bands
  • Curie Temperature
  • Energy Bands
  • Energy Gaps
  • Films
  • Light Sources
  • Magnetic Fields
  • Magnetic Moments
  • Magnetic Properties
  • Magnetometers
  • Materials Science
  • Measurement
  • Quantum Tunneling
  • Semiconductors
  • Splitting
  • Tunneling

Fields of Study

  • Physics

Readers

  • Quantum spin resonance or Electron Paramagnetic Resonance spectroscopy.
  • Thin Film Deposition Science.

Technology Areas

  • Microelectronics