Potential of AlP and GaN as barriers in magnetic tunnel junctions.

Gokaran Shukla; H. M. Abdullah; Udo Schwingenschlögl

doi:10.1039/d3nr04143c

Potential of AlP and GaN as barriers in magnetic tunnel junctions.

Gokaran Shukla, H. M. Abdullah, Udo Schwingenschlögl

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

AlP and GaN are wide band gap semiconductors used industrially in light emitting diodes. We investigate their potential as tunnel barriers in magnetic tunnel junctions, employing density functional theory and the non-equilibrium Green's function method for ground state and quantum transport calculations, respectively. We show that the valence band edges are dominated by pz orbitals and the conduction band edges are dominated by s orbitals. Both materials filter Bloch states of Δ1 symmetry at the Γ-point of the Brillouin zone. In the zero bias limit, we find for the Co/AlP/Co junction a high tunnel magnetoresistance of ∼200% at the Fermi energy and for the Co/GaN/Co junction a tunnel magnetoresistance of even ∼300% about 1.4 eV below the Fermi energy.

Original language	English (US)
Journal	Nanoscale
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1039/d3nr04143c
State	Published - Sep 13 2023

Bibliographical note

KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2023-09-15
Acknowledgements: The research reported in this publication was supported by funding from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

ASJC Scopus subject areas

General Materials Science

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10.1039/d3nr04143c

https://repository.kaust.edu.sa/bitstream/10754/694415/1/d3nr04143c.pdf

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title = "Potential of AlP and GaN as barriers in magnetic tunnel junctions.",

abstract = "AlP and GaN are wide band gap semiconductors used industrially in light emitting diodes. We investigate their potential as tunnel barriers in magnetic tunnel junctions, employing density functional theory and the non-equilibrium Green's function method for ground state and quantum transport calculations, respectively. We show that the valence band edges are dominated by pz orbitals and the conduction band edges are dominated by s orbitals. Both materials filter Bloch states of Δ1 symmetry at the Γ-point of the Brillouin zone. In the zero bias limit, we find for the Co/AlP/Co junction a high tunnel magnetoresistance of ∼200% at the Fermi energy and for the Co/GaN/Co junction a tunnel magnetoresistance of even ∼300% about 1.4 eV below the Fermi energy.",

author = "Gokaran Shukla and Abdullah, {H. M.} and Udo Schwingenschl{\"o}gl",

note = "KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2023-09-15 Acknowledgements: The research reported in this publication was supported by funding from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.",

year = "2023",

month = sep,

day = "13",

doi = "10.1039/d3nr04143c",

language = "English (US)",

journal = "Nanoscale",

issn = "2040-3364",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Potential of AlP and GaN as barriers in magnetic tunnel junctions.

AU - Shukla, Gokaran

AU - Abdullah, H. M.

AU - Schwingenschlögl, Udo

N1 - KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2023-09-15 Acknowledgements: The research reported in this publication was supported by funding from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.

PY - 2023/9/13

Y1 - 2023/9/13

N2 - AlP and GaN are wide band gap semiconductors used industrially in light emitting diodes. We investigate their potential as tunnel barriers in magnetic tunnel junctions, employing density functional theory and the non-equilibrium Green's function method for ground state and quantum transport calculations, respectively. We show that the valence band edges are dominated by pz orbitals and the conduction band edges are dominated by s orbitals. Both materials filter Bloch states of Δ1 symmetry at the Γ-point of the Brillouin zone. In the zero bias limit, we find for the Co/AlP/Co junction a high tunnel magnetoresistance of ∼200% at the Fermi energy and for the Co/GaN/Co junction a tunnel magnetoresistance of even ∼300% about 1.4 eV below the Fermi energy.

AB - AlP and GaN are wide band gap semiconductors used industrially in light emitting diodes. We investigate their potential as tunnel barriers in magnetic tunnel junctions, employing density functional theory and the non-equilibrium Green's function method for ground state and quantum transport calculations, respectively. We show that the valence band edges are dominated by pz orbitals and the conduction band edges are dominated by s orbitals. Both materials filter Bloch states of Δ1 symmetry at the Γ-point of the Brillouin zone. In the zero bias limit, we find for the Co/AlP/Co junction a high tunnel magnetoresistance of ∼200% at the Fermi energy and for the Co/GaN/Co junction a tunnel magnetoresistance of even ∼300% about 1.4 eV below the Fermi energy.

UR - http://hdl.handle.net/10754/694415

UR - http://xlink.rsc.org/?DOI=D3NR04143C

U2 - 10.1039/d3nr04143c

DO - 10.1039/d3nr04143c

M3 - Article

C2 - 37702989

SN - 2040-3364

JO - Nanoscale

JF - Nanoscale

ER -

Potential of AlP and GaN as barriers in magnetic tunnel junctions.

Abstract

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