Abstract
When a nonmagnetic spacer is inserted between the insulator and the ferromagnetic layer in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), spin-polarized quantum-well (QW) states may be formed in the nonmagnetic layer. We theoretically investigate the effect of the QW states on the tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) in MTJs with an inserted nonmagnetic spacer using a free-electron model. When the spin-dependent confinement caused by the ferromagnetic layer is very strong, the TMR may converge to a finite value as a function of the nonmagnetic spacer thickness, and another oscillation period related to the QW state may appear.
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Choi, C., Lee, B.C. Effects of quantum-well states on the tunneling magnetoresistance in magnetic tunnel junctions. Journal of the Korean Physical Society 67, 1603–1608 (2015). https://doi.org/10.3938/jkps.67.1603
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.3938/jkps.67.1603