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Growth and Properties of Epitaxial Chromium Dioxide (CrO2) Thin Films and Heterostructures

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Nanoscale Magnetic Materials and Applications

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Abstract

\({\rm CrO}_2\) is a remarkable ferromagnetic material that is simultaneously an excellent metal for majority spin electrons and an insulator for minority spin electrons [1–3]. For this reason, \({\rm CrO}_2\) is called a half-metal, and in fact, it is the only one experimentally demonstrated [4–6]. Because of this, \({\rm CrO}_2\) has received considerable interest for spintronic applications in recent years. Band structure calculations have shown that the conduction bands in the spin minority channel of this system are completely shifted away from the Fermi level, resulting in 100% spin polarization. This makes it an attractive choice as a ferromagnetic material for spin-dependent devices such as spin injectors and spin detectors. In this chapter, we briefly describe the bonding characteristics in \({\rm CrO}_2\), based on first principles band structure calculations, as well as discuss some of its intrinsic structural, electrical, and magnetic properties. The strain-induced magnetic anisotropy resulting from lattice mismatch with the substrates is also discussed. Finally, we provide some details regarding the fabrication of epitaxial rutile-based heterostructures and their transport properties in micron-sized tunnel junction and GMR devices.

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Acknowledgments

Most of the work reviewed in this chapter has been carried out by the authors over a period of several years in collaboration with a number of other colleagues. We express our gratitude to all the collaborators for their contributions, support, and help. In particular, we would like to acknowledge Alexander Anguelouch, William Butler, Chia-Ling Chien, Supratik Guha, Srikanth Hariharan, Patrick LeClair, Xin-Wei Li, Stephen Pennycook, Maria Varela, and Gang Xiao.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Materials for Information Technology (MINT), The University of Alabama, 35487, Tuscaloosa, AL, USA

    Guo-Xing Miao & Arunava Gupta

Authors
  1. Guo-Xing Miao
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  2. Arunava Gupta
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Correspondence to Guo-Xing Miao .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. Physics, University of Texas, Arlington, Yates Street 502, Arlington, 76019, USA

    J. Ping Liu

  2. Center for Magnetic Recording Research, University of California, San Diego, Gilman Drive 9500, La Jolla, 92093-0401, USA

    Eric Fullerton

  3. Werkstoffforschung (IFW Dresden), Leibniz Institut für Festkörper- und, Helmholtzstr. 20, Dresden, 01069, Germany

    Oliver Gutfleisch

  4. Center for Materials Research &, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Brace Laboratory 112, Lincoln, 68588-0113, USA

    D.J. Sellmyer

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Miao, GX., Gupta, A. (2009). Growth and Properties of Epitaxial Chromium Dioxide (CrO2) Thin Films and Heterostructures. In: Liu, J., Fullerton, E., Gutfleisch, O., Sellmyer, D. (eds) Nanoscale Magnetic Materials and Applications. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-85600-1_17

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-85600-1_17

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