Large Room-Temperature Magnetoresistance in van der Waals Ferromagnet/Semiconductor Junctions

Zhu, Wenkai; Xie, Shihong; Lin, Hailong; Zhang, Gaojie; Wu, Hao; Hu, Tiangui; Wang, Ziao; Zhang, Xiaomin; Xu, Jiahan; Wang, Yujing; Zheng, Yuanhui; Yan, Faguang; Zhang, Jing; Zhao, Lixia; Patanè, Amalia; Zhang, Jia; Chang, Haixin; Wang, Kaiyou

Abstract

A magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) is the core component in memory technologies, such as the magnetic random-access memory, magnetic sensors and programmable logic devices. In particular, MTJs based on two-dimensional van der Waals (vdW) heterostructures offer unprecedented opportunities for low power consumption and miniaturization of spintronic devices. However, their operation at room temperature remains a challenge. Here, we report a large tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) of up to 85% at room temperature (T = 300 K) in vdW MTJs based on a thin (< 10 nm) semiconductor spacer WSe2 layer embedded between two Fe3GaTe2 electrodes with intrinsic above-room-temperature ferromagnetism. The TMR in the MTJ increases with decreasing temperature up to 164% at T = 10 K. The demonstration of TMR in ultra-thin MTJs at room temperature opens a realistic and promising route for next-generation spintronic applications beyond the current state of the art.

Citation

Zhu, W., Xie, S., Lin, H., Zhang, G., Wu, H., Hu, T., Wang, Z., Zhang, X., Xu, J., Wang, Y., Zheng, Y., Yan, F., Zhang, J., Zhao, L., Patanè, A., Zhang, J., Chang, H., & Wang, K. (2022). Large Room-Temperature Magnetoresistance in van der Waals Ferromagnet/Semiconductor Junctions. Chinese Physics Letters, 39(12), Article 128501. https://doi.org/10.1088/0256-307x/39/12/128501

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Nov 16, 2022
• Online Publication Date: Nov 17, 2022
• Publication Date: Nov 17, 2022
• Deposit Date: Nov 18, 2022
• Publicly Available Date: Nov 18, 2023
• Journal: Chinese Physics Letters
• Print ISSN: 0256-307X
• Electronic ISSN: 1741-3540
• Publisher: IOP Publishing
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 39
• Issue: 12
• Article Number: 128501
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1088/0256-307x/39/12/128501
• Keywords: General Physics and Astronomy
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/13752816
• Publisher URL: https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/0256-307X/39/12/128501