M. Bowen

Nearly total spin polarization in La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 from tunneling experiments

We have performed magnetotransport measurements on La2/3Sr1/3MnO3/SrTiO3/La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 magnetic tunnel junctions. A magnetoresistance ratio of more than 1800% is obtained at 4 K, from which we infer an electrode spin polarization of at least 95%. This result strongly underscores the half-metallic nature of mixed-valence manganites and demonstrates their capability as a spin analyzer. The magnetoresistance extends up to temperatures of more than 270 K. We argue that these improvements over most previous works may result from optimizing the patterning process for oxide heterostructures.

Robust spin crossover and memristance across a single molecule

A nanoscale molecular switch can be used to store information in a single molecule. Although the switching process can be detected electrically in the form of a change in the molecules conductance, adding spin functionality to molecular switches is a key concept for realizing molecular spintronic devices. Here we show that iron-based spin-crossover molecules can be individually and reproducibly switched between a combined high-spin, high-conduction state and a low-spin, low-conduction state, provided the individual molecule is decoupled from a metallic substrate by a thin insulating layer. These results represent a step to achieving combined spin and conduction switching functionality on the level of individual molecules.

The 2014 Magnetism Roadmap

Magnetism is a very fascinating and dynamic field. Especially in the last 30 years it has experienced many major advances in the full range from novel fundamental phenomena to new products. Applications such as hard disk drives and magnetic sensors are part of our daily life, and new applications, such as in non-volatile computer random access memory, are expected to surface shortly. Thus it is timely for describing the current status, and current and future challenges in the form of a Roadmap article. This 2014 Magnetism Roadmap provides a view on several selected, currently very active innovative developments. It consists of 12 sections, each written by an expert in the field and addressing a specific subject, with strong emphasize on future potential. This Roadmap cannot cover the entire field. We have selected several highly relevant areas without attempting to provide a full review - a future update will have room for more topics. The scope covers mostly nano-magnetic phenomena and applications, where surfaces and interfaces provide additional functionality. New developments in fundamental topics such as interacting nano-elements, novel magnon-based spintronics concepts, spin-orbit torques and spin-caloric phenomena are addressed. New materials, such as organic magnetic materials and permanent magnets are covered. New applications are presented such as nano-magnetic logic, non-local and domain-wall based devices, heat-assisted magnetic recording, magnetic random access memory, and applications in biotechnology. May the Roadmap serve as a guideline for future emerging research directions in modern magnetism.

Giant magnetoresistance through a single molecule

Magnetoresistance is a change in the resistance of a material system caused by an applied magnetic field. Giant magnetoresistance occurs in structures containing ferromagnetic contacts separated by a metallic non-magnetic spacer, and is now the basis of read heads for hard drives and for new forms of random access memory. Using an insulator (for example, a molecular thin film) rather than a metal as the spacer gives rise to tunnelling magnetoresistance, which typically produces a larger change in resistance for a given magnetic field strength, but also yields higher resistances, which are a disadvantage for real device operation. Here, we demonstrate giant magnetoresistance across a single, non-magnetic hydrogen phthalocyanine molecule contacted by the ferromagnetic tip of a scanning tunnelling microscope. We measure the magnetoresistance to be 60% and the conductance to be 0.26G(0), where G(0) is the quantum of conductance. Theoretical analysis identifies spin-dependent hybridization of molecular and electrode orbitals as the cause of the large magnetoresistance.

Large magnetoresistance in Fe/MgO/FeCo(001) epitaxial tunnel junctions on GaAs(001)

We present tunneling experiments on Fe(001)/MgO(20 A)/FeCo(001) single-crystal epitaxial junctions of high quality grown by sputtering and laser ablation. Tunnel magnetoresistance measurements give 60% at 30 K, to be compared with 13% obtained recently on (001)-oriented Fe/amorphous-Al2O3/FeCo tunnel junctions. This difference demonstrates that the spin polarization of tunneling electrons is not directly related to the density of states of the free metal surface—Fe(001) in this case—but depends on the actual electronic structure of the entire electrode/barrier system.

Study of molecular spin-crossover complex Fe(phen)2(NCS)2 thin films

We report on the growth by evaporation under high vacuum of high-quality thin films of Fe(phen)2(NCS)2 (phen=1,10-phenanthroline) that maintain the expected electronic structure down to a thickness of 10 nm and that exhibit a temperature-driven spin transition. We have investigated the current-voltage characteristics of a device based on such films. From the space charge-limited current regime, we deduce a mobility of 6.5×10−6 cm2/V s that is similar to the low-range mobility measured on the widely studied tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)aluminum organic semiconductor. This work paves the way for multifunctional molecular devices based on spin-crossover complexes.

Direct observation of a highly spin-polarized organic spinterface at room temperature

Organic semiconductors constitute promising candidates toward large-scale electronic circuits that are entirely spintronics-driven. Toward this goal, tunneling magnetoresistance values above 300% at low temperature suggested the presence of highly spin-polarized device interfaces. However, such spinterfaces have not been observed directly, let alone at room temperature. Thanks to experiments and theory on the model spinterface between phthalocyanine molecules and a Co single crystal surface, we clearly evidence a highly efficient spinterface. Spin-polarised direct and inverse photoemission experiments reveal a high degree of spin polarisation at room temperature at this interface. We measured a magnetic moment on the molecules nitrogen π orbitals, which substantiates an ab-initio theoretical description of highly spin-polarised charge conduction across the interface due to differing spinterface formation mechanisms in each spin channel. We propose, through this example, a recipe to engineer simple organic-inorganic interfaces with remarkable spintronic properties that can endure well above room temperature.

Quantum-well states in copper thin films

A standard exercise in elementary quantum mechanics is to describe the properties of an electron confined in a potential well. The solutions of Schrödingers equation are electron standing waves—or ‘quantum-well’ states—characterized by the quantum number n, the number of half-wavelengths that span the well. Quantum-well states can be experimentally realized in a thin film, which confines the motion of the electrons in the direction normal to the film: for layered semiconductor quantum wells, the aforementioned quantization condition provides (with the inclusion of boundary phases) a good description of the quantum-well states. The presence of such states in layered metallic nanostructures isbelieved to underlie many intriguing phenomena, such as the oscillatory magnetic coupling of two ferromagnetic layers across anon-magnetic layer, and giant magnetoresistance. But our understanding of the properties of the quantum-well states in metallic structures is still limited. Here we report photoemission experiments that reveal the spatial variation of the quantum-well wavefunction within a thin copper film. Our results confirm an earlier proposal that the amplitude of electron waves confined in a metallic thin film is modulated by an envelope function (of longer wavelength), which plays a key role in determining the energetics of the quantum-well states.

Tunnel magnetoresistance in nanojunctions based on Sr2FeMoO6

We report on the observation of magnetoresistance in a Sr2FeMoO6 (SFMO)-based tunnel junction. This result is obtained by combining a three-step process for the growth of the Sr2FeMoO6 layer by pulsed laser deposition with a technology allowing the definition of nanometer-sized junctions. A clear positive magnetoresistive signal of 50% is obtained at low temperature in a Sr2FeMoO6/SrTiO3/Co junction. Since the SrTiO3/Co interface is known to have a negative spin polarization of about 20%, this result yields a negative spin polarization of SFMO, which we find to amount to more than 85% in our film. This confirms the half-metallic character of this compound, predicted by band structure calculations.

Spin-polarized tunneling spectroscopy in tunnel junctions with half-metallic electrodes

We have studied the magnetoresistance (TMR) of tunnel junctions with electrodes of La(2/3)Sr(1/3)MnO3 and we show how the variation of the conductance and TMR with the bias voltage can be exploited to obtain precise information on the spin and energy dependence of the density of states. Our analysis leads to a quantitative description of the band structure of La(2/3)Sr(1/3)MnO3 including the energy gap delta between the Fermi level and the bottom of the t(2g) minority-spin band, in good agreement with data from spin-polarized inverse photoemission experiments. This shows the potential of magnetic tunnel junctions with half-metallic electrodes for spin-resolved spectroscopic studies.