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Large and tunable magnetoresistance in van der Waals ferromagnet/semiconductor junctions

Author

Listed:
  • Wenkai Zhu

    (Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Yingmei Zhu

    (Nanjing University)

  • Tong Zhou

    (University at Buffalo, State University of New York)

  • Xianpeng Zhang

    (University of Basel, Basel)

  • Hailong Lin

    (Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Qirui Cui

    (Nanjing University)

  • Faguang Yan

    (Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Ziao Wang

    (Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Yongcheng Deng

    (Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences)

  • Hongxin Yang

    (Nanjing University)

  • Lixia Zhao

    (Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Tiangong University)

  • Igor Žutić

    (University at Buffalo, State University of New York)

  • Kirill D. Belashchenko

    (University of Nebraska-Lincoln)

  • Kaiyou Wang

    (Institute of Semiconductors, Chinese Academy of Sciences
    University of Chinese Academy of Sciences
    Beijing Academy of Quantum Information Sciences)

Abstract

Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with conventional bulk ferromagnets separated by a nonmagnetic insulating layer are key building blocks in spintronics for magnetic sensors and memory. A radically different approach of using atomically-thin van der Waals (vdW) materials in MTJs is expected to boost their figure of merit, the tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR), while relaxing the lattice-matching requirements from the epitaxial growth and supporting high-quality integration of dissimilar materials with atomically-sharp interfaces. We report TMR up to 192% at 10 K in all-vdW Fe3GeTe2/GaSe/Fe3GeTe2 MTJs. Remarkably, instead of the usual insulating spacer, this large TMR is realized with a vdW semiconductor GaSe. Integration of semiconductors into the MTJs offers energy-band-tunability, bias dependence, magnetic proximity effects, and spin-dependent optical-selection rules. We demonstrate that not only the magnitude of the TMR is tuned by the semiconductor thickness but also the TMR sign can be reversed by varying the bias voltages, enabling modulation of highly spin-polarized carriers in vdW semiconductors.

Suggested Citation

  • Wenkai Zhu & Yingmei Zhu & Tong Zhou & Xianpeng Zhang & Hailong Lin & Qirui Cui & Faguang Yan & Ziao Wang & Yongcheng Deng & Hongxin Yang & Lixia Zhao & Igor Žutić & Kirill D. Belashchenko & Kaiyou Wa, 2023. "Large and tunable magnetoresistance in van der Waals ferromagnet/semiconductor junctions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-7, December.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:14:y:2023:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-023-41077-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41077-0
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