磁性隧道结中自旋相关输运的势垒影响

为了研究势垒对铁磁/绝缘层/半导体/绝缘层/铁磁(FM/I/SM/I/FM)双隧道结中自旋相关电子输运特性的影响,提出了在半导体层厚度合适的情况下,非对称势垒对于提高平行结构磁性双隧道结的自旋注入效率SIE(spin injection efficiency)更具优势.数值计算结果表明,当两势垒强度的比率达到合适数值时双结的SIE和隧穿磁电阻TMR(tunneling magnetore resistance)都将达到最大,这给提高从铁磁到半导体的SIE带来新选择.研究还表明,非对称势垒结构磁性隧道结中增大铁磁交换能对提高SIE和TMR都是有益的,而且铁磁交换能的增加对SIE的提高要比对TMR的提高更显著.     

铁磁金属/绝缘体/铁磁半导体/普通金属 (FM/I/FS/NM)磁性隧道结中的隧穿磁电阻效应

在已有的单自旋过滤磁性隧道结铁磁金属/绝缘体/铁磁绝缘体/普通金属(FM/I/FI/NM)研究的基础上,将其中的铁磁绝缘层(FI)换为铁磁半导体层(FS),研究了铁磁金属/绝缘体/铁磁半导体/普通金属(FM/I/FS/NM)磁性隧道结中的隧穿磁电阻(TMR)现象.结果表明:由于FS层中的自旋过滤效应和Rashba自旋轨道耦合的影响,FM/I/FS/NM结可以在FS层厚度较大的情况下获得非常大的TMR值,从而避免已有的FM/I/FI/NM单自旋过滤结(FI表示铁磁绝缘层)中TMR随FI层厚度增加而下降所导致FI层不能做的太厚带来的制备上的困难.同时,计算结果还显示,FM/I/FS/NM结的TMR随铁磁半导体层FS的厚度,FS层中的Rashba自旋轨道耦合强度和分子场的变化呈振荡变化,随绝缘层I厚度的增加呈饱和趋势.     

隧道巨磁电阻效应的研究与应用

1974年,Slonczewski提出的铁磁金属／绝缘体／铁磁金属(FM／I／FM)结构中存在隧道巨磁电阻(TMR)效应,当两铁磁层磁化方向平行或反平行时,FM／I／FM隧道结将有不同的电阻值。很快,Julliere在Fe／Ge／Co隧道结中证实了这一点。这种因外磁场改变隧道结铁磁层的磁化状态而导致其电阻变化的现象,称为隧道磁电阻效应。随后,人们对一系列FM／I／FM磁隧道结的输运性质进行了研究。由于磁隧道结中两铁磁层间不存在或基本不存在层间耦合,     

磁性半导体隧道结中自旋注入效率的温度效应

利用了隧道哈密顿方法研究了稀磁性半导体(DMS)到非磁性半导体(SM)隧道结中自旋注入效率与温度的关系.计算表明,随着温度的升高,自旋注入效率逐渐降低.这主要是由两方面的原因引起的,其一温度升高稀磁半导体的极化率降低;其二温度升高自旋反转隧穿增加.     

磁性隧道结自旋极化电子隧穿的温度特性

基于自由电子模型，研究了铁磁金属／绝缘体（半导体）／铁磁金属（ＦＭ／Ｉ（Ｓ）／ＦＭ）隧道结自旋极化电子隧穿的温度特性。从结论可以定性地解释有关的实验现象。     

膜厚对NiO/NiFe/Cu/NiFe磁阻效应的影响

用射频磁控溅射方法制备多层膜,研究了双层膜ＮｉＯ／ＮｉＦｅ的矫顽力Ｈｃ和交换耦合场Ｈｅｘ与反铁磁层ＮｉＯ、铁磁层ＮｉＦｅ厚度的关系,结果表明：ＮｉＯ厚度为７０ｎｍ时,Ｈｅｘ最大;Ｈｃ随ＮｉＯ厚度增大而增大．当ＮｉＦｅ厚度增加时,Ｈｅｘ近似线性减小;而Ｈｃ则随ＮｉＦｅ厚度增大开始有缓慢增加,然后才减小．对于ＮｉＯ（７０ｎｍ）／ＮｉＦｅ（ｔ１）／Ｃｕ（２．２ｎｍ）／ＮｉＦｅ（ｔ２）自旋阀多层膜材料（括号内的量表示厚度）,研究了ＮｉＦｅ膜厚度对磁阻效应的影响,结果表明：被钉扎层ＮｉＦｅ的厚度为３ｎｍ,自由层ＮｉＦｅ的厚度为５ｎｍ时,ＭＲ值最大,约为１．６％．     

以铁磁绝缘体和铁磁半导体为势垒层的隧道结中的隧穿时间与自旋极化率

基于Winful的隧穿时间模型,对普通金属/铁磁绝缘体/普通金属(NM/FI/NM)、普通金属/铁磁半导体/普通金属(NM/FS/NM) 2种隧道结中的隧穿时间(居留时间和相位时间)和自旋极化率进行了研究.NM/FI/NM结中隧穿电子的自旋极化源于FI层的自旋过滤效应.而NM/FS/NM结中隧穿电子的自旋极化则源于FS层中磁性和Rashba自旋轨道耦合效应的共同作用.计算结果表明:在NM/FI/NM隧道结中,随着铁磁绝缘体层势垒厚度的增加,自旋极化率变化逐渐增加到趋于饱和并始终保持为正值.与之相应的自旋上下电子的居留时间和相位时间也随着增加,但自旋向下电子的隧穿时间总是大于自旋向上电子.铁磁绝缘体层中分子场的增加会导致自旋极化率逐渐增大并始终为正,相应的自旋向下电子的居留时间和相位时间总是大于自旋向上电子,但自旋向上电子的时间逐渐增加而自旋向下电子则相应减少.铁磁绝缘层势垒高度的变化会导致自旋极化率从负到正的转变.当自旋极化率为负时,相应的自旋向上电子的隧穿时间大于自旋向下电子的隧穿时间.在NM/FS/NM结中,由于Rashba自旋轨道耦合作用,自旋向上电子和自旋向下电子的隧穿时间随铁磁半导体层的厚度、分子场和Rashba耦合系数的变化呈现出周期性振荡变化的趋势.与之相应的自旋极化率从正到负,也呈周期性的振荡变化.但当自旋向下电子的隧穿时间大于自旋向上电子的时候,极化率为负,反之为正;这个结果和NM/FI/NM隧道结中的情况刚好相反.     

磁性隧道结自旋极化电子隧穿的温度特性

基于自由电子模型，我们研究了铁磁金属／绝缘体（半导体）／铁磁金属隧道结自旋极化电子隧穿的温度特性。从我们的结论可以定性地解释有关的实验现象。     

Rashba自旋轨道耦合对NM/FS/I/FS/NM双自旋过滤隧道结中自旋相关输运的影响

基于转移矩阵方法和量子相干输运理论,研究了含两铁磁半导体层的双自旋过滤磁性隧道结(NM/FS/I/FS/NM,NM表示非磁金属,FS表示铁磁半导体,I表示绝缘层)中的Rashba自旋轨道耦合与自旋相关隧穿现象和隧穿磁电阻(TMR)效应之间的关系.研究结果表明:当左右两FS层的Rashba自旋轨道耦合强度相等时可得到最大的正TMR,而不等时可得到大的负TMR;在绝缘层厚度达到一定值后,双自旋过滤结可以获得稳定TMR,其正负和两FS层Rashba自旋轨道耦合强度的相对大小有关.     

量子点体系中自旋过滤、自旋流产生和自旋注入

自旋电子学是一门新兴的交叉学科,其中心主题就是对固体电子系统中电子的自旋自由度进行有效地操作和控制.量子点体系中的自旋效应近期受到了理论和实验较多的关注.本文着重介绍了自旋轨道耦合效应对量子点体系输运性质的影响,探讨了怎样利用自旋轨道耦合效应来实现对自旋的有效过滤和纯自旋流产生.基于四铁磁端双量子点体系中电子的交换相互作用机制,指出了一种可以显著提高从铁磁金属到半导体量子点自旋注入效率的新方法.     

铁磁/绝缘层/有机半导体/铁磁多层膜隧道结的隧穿磁电阻的温度和偏压特性研究

采用Slonczewski的近自由电子模型, 利用转移矩阵的方法, 研究了铁磁/绝缘层/有机半导体/铁磁隧道结的自旋极化载流子隧穿的温度和偏压特性. 计算了T=4 K和T=300 K时, 隧穿磁电阻(Tunneling Magnetic Resistance, TMR)随偏压的变化关系, 同时还研究了零温时在有限偏压下隧穿磁电阻TMR与绝缘层厚度、有机半导体层厚度以及铁磁/有机半导体界面势垒U的变化关系. 我们的计算结果较好地解释了有关的实验 结论.     

Spin-based logic in semiconductors for reconfigurable large-scale circuits

Research in semiconductor spintronics aims to extend the scope of conventional electronics by using the spin degree of freedom of an electron in addition to its charge. Significant scientific advances in this area have been reported, such as the development of diluted ferromagnetic semiconductors, spin injection into semiconductors from ferromagnetic metals and discoveries of new physical phenomena involving electron spin. Yet no viable means of developing spintronics in semiconductors has been presented. Here we report a theoretical design that is a conceptual step forward-spin accumulation is used as the basis of a semiconductor computer circuit. Although the giant magnetoresistance effect in metals has already been commercially exploited, it does not extend to semiconductor/ferromagnet systems, because the effect is too weak for logic operations. We overcome this obstacle by using spin accumulation rather than spin flow. The basic element in our design is a logic gate that consists of a semiconductor structure with multiple magnetic contacts; this serves to perform fast and reprogrammable logic operations in a noisy, room-temperature environment. We then introduce a method to interconnect a large number of these gates to form a 'spin computer'. As the shrinking of conventional complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) transistors reaches its intrinsic limit, greater computational capability will mean an increase in both circuit area and power dissipation. Our spin-based approach may provide wide margins for further scaling and also greater computational capability per gate.     

NM/FI/NI/FI/NM新型双自旋过滤隧道结的隧穿磁电阻

在NM/FI/FI/NM型双自旋过滤隧道结(NM为非磁金属,FI和后面的NI分别为铁磁和非磁绝缘体或半导体)的基础上,提出一种NM/FI/NI/FI/NM新型双自旋过滤隧道结.基于自由电子近似并利用转移矩阵方法,对NM/FI/NI/FI/NM新型双自旋过滤隧道结在不同偏压下的隧穿磁电阻TMR与FI层厚度及NI层厚度的关系做了理论研究.计算结果表明,在NM/FI/NI/FI/NM型双自旋过滤隧道结中仍可以得到很大的TMR值.     

双势垒磁性隧道结中电子的自旋极化输运

 采用相干量子输运理论和传递矩阵方法,数值计算了两端具有铁磁接触的双势垒异质结构(F/DB/F)中自旋相关的隧穿几率和自旋极化率。结果表明,隧穿几率和自旋极化率随阱宽的增加发生振荡周期不随垒厚变化的周期性振荡;Rashba自旋轨道耦合强度的增加加大了隧穿几率和自旋极化率的振荡频率;隧穿几率和自旋极化率的振幅和峰谷比强烈依赖于两铁磁电极中磁化方向的夹角。与铁磁/半导体/铁磁（F/S/F）磁性隧道结中的结果相比,发现垒厚的增加增大了隧穿几率和自旋极化率的峰谷比,自旋极化率的取值明显增大,并具有自旋劈裂和自旋翻转现象出现。     

Giant magnetoresistance in organic spin-valves

A spin valve is a layered structure of magnetic and non-magnetic (spacer) materials whose electrical resistance depends on the spin state of electrons passing through the device and so can be controlled by an external magnetic field. The discoveries of giant magnetoresistance and tunnelling magnetoresistance in metallic spin valves have revolutionized applications such as magnetic recording and memory, and launched the new field of spin electronics--'spintronics'. Intense research efforts are now devoted to extending these spin-dependent effects to semiconductor materials. But while there have been noteworthy advances in spin injection and detection using inorganic semiconductors, spin-valve devices with semiconducting spacers have not yet been demonstrated. pi-conjugated organic semiconductors may offer a promising alternative approach to semiconductor spintronics, by virtue of their relatively strong electron-phonon coupling and large spin coherence. Here we report the injection, transport and detection of spin-polarized carriers using an organic semiconductor as the spacer layer in a spin-valve structure, yielding low-temperature giant magnetoresistance effects as large as 40 per cent.     

自旋反转效应对铁磁/绝缘层/铁磁结中的隧道磁电阻的影响

考虑到自旋反转效应,用量子力学隧穿方法,计算铁磁/绝缘层/铁磁结中的隧道磁电阻,计算结果表明自旋反转使铁磁/绝缘层/铁磁结中的隧道磁电阻减小.     

Thermal spin current from a ferromagnet to silicon by Seebeck spin tunnelling

Heat generation by electric current, which is ubiquitous in electronic devices and circuits, raises energy consumption and will become increasingly problematic in future generations of high-density electronics. The control and re-use of heat are therefore important topics for existing and emerging technologies, including spintronics. Recently it was reported that heat flow within a ferromagnet can produce a flow of spin angular momentum-a spin current-and an associated voltage. This spin Seebeck effect has been observed in metallic, insulating and semiconductor ferromagnets with temperature gradients across them. Here we describe and report the demonstration of Seebeck spin tunnelling-a distinctly different thermal spin flow, of purely interfacial nature-generated in a tunnel contact between electrodes of different temperatures when at least one of the electrodes is a ferromagnet. The Seebeck spin current is governed by the energy derivative of the tunnel spin polarization. By exploiting this in ferromagnet-oxide-silicon tunnel junctions, we observe thermal transfer of spins from the ferromagnet to the silicon without a net tunnel charge current. The induced spin accumulation scales linearly with heating power and changes sign when the temperature differential is reversed. This thermal spin current can be used by itself, or in combination with electrical spin injection, to increase device efficiency. The results highlight the engineering of heat transport in spintronic devices and facilitate the functional use of heat.     

自旋轨道耦合对铁磁/半导体/绝缘体多层膜结构中隧穿性质的影响

利用传递矩阵方法,计算了自旋轨道耦合对铁磁/半导体/绝缘体多层膜结构中隧穿性质的影响.结果表明,当半导体和铁磁体之间是绝缘接触时,体系的输运性质发生明显改变,同时出现了自旋反转效应.     

铁磁/绝缘体/铁磁隧道结中的自旋流

考虑粗糙界面散射和自旋翻转,运用Slonczewsik模型,我们研究了铁磁/绝缘体/铁磁中的磁性隧穿,得到自旋电流密度表达式.在界面势垒比较低时,自旋电流受随粗糙界面散射和自旋翻转的强度改变明显.