Oxide layer boron leads to reduced symmetry spin filtering magnetic tunnel junctions

dc.creatorStewart, Derek A.
dc.date2009-04-28
dc.date.accessioned2026-07-07T13:09:51Z
dc.date.available2026-07-07T13:09:51Z
dc.descriptionExperimental studies of FeCoB/MgO/FeCoB tunnel junctions indicate that boron diffuses into MgO during rf-sputtering and forms polycrystalline Mg-B-O regions. These tunnel junctions provide high tunneling magnetoresistance values and low RA products. However the crystal structure of the Mg-B-O region remains unknown. Using density functional techniques, I examine three potential Mg(B) oxides including Mg$_{2}$B$_{2}$O$_{5}$ (monoclinic and triclinic) and the orthorhombic mineral Kotoite (Mg$_3$B$_2$O$_6$). Kotoite is the best candidate for formation in magnetic tunnel junctions. The (100) surface of Kotoite has a good lattice match with (001) MgO and could template neighboring FeCo into bcc layers during annealing. Complex band structure analysis of Kotoite shows that the C$_{2v}$ $\tildeΔ_1$ band has a much smaller imaginary k component than the C$_{2v}$ $\tildeΔ_4$ band. Based on symmetry analysis, the majority spin $Δ_1$ band in FeCo should couple well with the Kotoite $\tildeΔ_1$ band, while the minority FeCo $Δ_5$ will couple partially with the $\tildeΔ_4$ band. Kotoite provides a new route to high tunneling magnetoresistance based on spin filtering by a lower symmetry oxide region.
dc.description11 pages, 4 figures, submitted
dc.identifierhttps://arxiv.org/abs/0904.4475
dc.identifierhttp://arxiv.org/abs/0904.4475
dc.identifier.urihttp://salesiana.dossiersoluciones.com/handle/123456789/228876
dc.subjectMaterials Science
dc.subjectMesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
dc.titleOxide layer boron leads to reduced symmetry spin filtering magnetic tunnel junctions
dc.typetext

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