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Journal of Applied Physics / Volume 103 / Issue 7 / PROCEEDINGS OF THE 52ND ANNUAL CONFERENCE ON MAGNETISM AND MAGNETIC MATERIALS / Spin Dependent Properties and Spin Manipulation for Spintronics

J. Appl. Phys. 103, 07A719 (2008); http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.2837873 (3 pages)

Relationship between tunnel magnetoresistance and magnetic layer structure in EuO-based tunnel junctions investigated using polarized neutron reflectivity

S. M. Watson1, T. S. Santos2,3, J. A. Borchers1, and J. S. Moodera3

1NCNR, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, Maryland 20899-1070, USA
2Argonne National Laboratory, Argonne, Illinois 60439, USA
3Francis Bitter Magnet Laboratory, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02139-4307, USA

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(Received 1 October 2007; accepted 16 November 2007; published online 12 March 2008)

This paper presents a study of the depth-dependent magnetic structure of a EuO magnetic tunnel junction having a Gd electrode, Si/Cu/EuO/Gd/Al. Related samples that are patterned exhibit large tunneling magnetoresistance as high as 280%. Though Gd has a much higher coercivity than EuO in bulk, magnetometry reveals no “steps” in the hysteresis loop as expected for a true antiparallel alignment of the EuO and Gd layer magnetizations. Using polarized neutron reflectometry to measure the structural and field-dependent magnetic depth profile at 5 K, we determine that the Gd and EuO layers have similar coercivities and that the Gd layer exhibits an anomalously small magnetization at all fields. Polarized neutron reflectometry results also suggest that the chemical density of the Gd layer is not that of bulk Gd. The differences of the structural and magnetic behavior of the Gd layer relative to bulk may be the key in optimizing the tunnel magnetoresistance in these samples.

© 2008 American Institute of Physics

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KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords

aluminium, coercive force, copper, europium compounds, gadolinium, magnetic structure, silicon, tunnelling magnetoresistance

PACS

  • 75.25.-j

    Spin arrangements in magnetically ordered materials (including neutron and spin-polarized electron studies, synchrotron-source x-ray scattering, etc.)

  • 75.47.-m

    Magnetotransport phenomena; materials for magnetotransport

  • 75.60.Ej

    Magnetization curves, hysteresis, Barkhausen and related effects

  • 75.70.Cn

    Magnetic properties of interfaces (multilayers, superlattices, heterostructures)

ARTICLE DATA

Digital Object Identifier
http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.2837873

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN

0021-8979 (print)  
1089-7550 (online)

Publisher

$abstract.society.value is a Member of CrossRef American Institute of Physics

For access to fully linked references, you need to log in.
    P. LeClair, J. K. Ha, H. J. M. Swagten, J. T. Kohlhepp, C. H. Van de Vin, and W. J. M. De Jonge, Appl. Phys. Lett. 80, 625 (2002)APPLAB000080000004000625000001.

    T. S. Santos and J. S. Moodera, Phys. Rev. B 69, 241203 (2004).

    E. Negusse, J. Appl. Phys. 99, 08E507 (2006)JAPIAU00009900000808E507000001.


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