Journal of the Korean Magnetics Society (한국자기학회지)

The Korean Magnetics Society (한국자기학회)
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Perpendicular Spin-transfer Torque in Asymmetric Magnetic Tunnel Junctions: Material Parameter Dependence

비대칭 자기터널접합에서의 수직 스핀 전달 토크: 물질 변수에 대한 의존성

  • Han, Jae-Ho (Department of Physics and PCTP, Pohang University of Science and Technology) ;
  • Lee, Hyun-Woo (Department of Physics and PCTP, Pohang University of Science and Technology)
  • Received : 2011.04.04
  • Accepted : 2011.04.08
  • Published : 2011.04.30
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Abstract

Spin-transfer torque is a useful tool to control the magnetic state in nanostructures. In magnetic tunnel junctions, the spin-transfer torque has two components, the in-plane spin torque and the perpendicular spin torque. While properties of the in-plane spin-transfer torque are relatively well understood, properties of the perpendicular spin-transfer torque still remain controversial. A recent experiment demonstrated that in asymmetric magnetic tunnel junctions, the bias voltage dependence of the perpendicular spin-transfer torque contains both linear and quadratic terms in the bias. However it still remains unexplored how the bias voltage dependence changes as a function of material parameters. In this paper, we systematically investigate the perpendicular spin-transfer torque in asymmetric magnetic tunnel junction by varying spin splitting energy, work function difference, and Fermi energy of the ferromagnetic metal leads.

스핀전달토크는 나노구조에서 자성상태를 제어하는데 유용한 수단이다. 자기터널접합에서 스핀전달토크는 자성물질층의 자화가 이루는 평면에 평행한 성분과 수직인 성분으로 나눌 수 있다. 이중 평행한 성분의 스핀전달토크의 성질은 상당히 잘 알려져 있으나, 수직인 성분의 스핀전달토크의 성질에 대해서는 여전히 이견이 많다. 비대칭 자기터널접합에서의 최근 실험에서, 수직전달토크의 전압 의존성이 전압의 이차항 성분뿐만 아니라 일차항 성분도 가짐을 보고하였다. 하지만 물질 변수에 대한 의존성은 여전히 잘 알려지지 않았다. 이 논문에서는 비대칭 자기터널접합에서의 스핀전달토크의 전압의존성을, 강자성층의 스핀 갈라짐 에너지와 일함수의 차이, 그리고 페르미 에너지를 변화시켜 가면서 체계적인 조사를 하였다.

Keywords

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