Magnetic Tunnel Junctions with a Nearly Zero Moment Manganese Nanolayer with Perpendicular Magnetic Anisotropy

ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 2018 Dec 19;10(50):43305-43310. doi: 10.1021/acsami.8b15606. Epub 2018 Dec 6.

Abstract

A magnetic nanolayer with a perpendicular magnetic easy axis and negligible magnetization is demonstrated. Even though a manganese metal is antiferromagnetic in bulk form, a few manganese monolayers grown on a paramagnetic ordered alloy template and capped by an oxide layer exhibit a strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy field exceeding 19 T as well as a negligible magnetization of 25 kA/m. The nanolayer shows tunnel magnetoresistance. Moreover, the perpendicular magnetic anisotropy for the nanolayer can be reduced by applying an electric voltage. These findings will provide new insight into a creation of new nanolayer magnets.

Keywords: ferrimagnets; magnetic tunnel junction; perpendicular anisotropy; tunnel magnetoresistance; voltage control.