TY - JOUR
AU - Enkovaara, J.
AU - Wortmann, D.
AU - Blügel, S.
TI - Spin-polarized tunneling between an antiferromagnet and a ferromagnet: First-principles calculations and transport theory
JO - Physical review / B
VL - 76
IS - 5
SN - 1098-0121
CY - College Park, Md.
PB - APS
M1 - PreJuSER-57804
SP - 054437
PY - 2007
N1 - Record converted from VDB: 12.11.2012
AB - By combining first-principles calculations with transport theory we investigate the origin of the magnetoresistance of a magnetic tunnel junction consisting of a ferromagnetic and an antiferromagnetic lead. The (001) oriented Fe/vacuum/Cr planar junction serves as model junction. Even though the conduction electrons of antiferromagnetic Cr are spin-degenerate, it is possible to observe magnetoresistance due to two mechanisms: Firstly, the surface magnetism of Cr creates a spin-dependent potential barrier, and secondly, exchange-split surface states and resonances result in a tunneling conductance which depends on the relative orientation of the Fe and Cr magnetizations. Spin-dependent tunneling between a ferromagnet and an antiferromagnet happens frequently in tunneling setups such as in spin-polarized scanning tunneling microscopy or magnetic tunnel junctions for magnetic random access memory.
KW - J (WoSType)
LB - PUB:(DE-HGF)16
UR - <Go to ISI:>//WOS:000249155100108
DO - DOI:10.1103/PhysRevB.76.054437
UR - https://juser.fz-juelich.de/record/57804
ER -