Material and devices for spintronics

What is spintronics? Ferromagnetic semiconductors Physical basis Material issues Examples of spintronic devices Electric field control of magnetism Spin injectors Spin valves

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Trieste, 20.10.06

Spintronics = spin-based electronics

Information is carried by the electron spin, not (only) by the electron charge.

1. Ferromagnetic metallic alloys- based devices Transport in FM metals is naturally spin-polarized

Ideal, fully polarized case, only spin down states are available

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1988: discovery of GMR (Giant Magnetoresistive effect):

In alternateFM/nonmagnetic layered system, R is low when the magnetic moments in the FM layers are aligned, R is high when the magnetic moments in the FM layers are antialigned.
(Baibich et al, PRL61, 2472 (88) Binach et al, PRB39, 4828 (89))
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GMR based Spin Valves and Magnetic tunnel junction

AF layer (A) or AF/FM/Ru/ trilayer (B) to pin the magnetization of the top FM layer
Prinz, Science 282, 1660 (98) Wolf et al, Science 294, 1488 (01)

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Standard geometry for GMR based Spin Valves

GMR based Spin Valves for read head in hard drives

But also MRAM

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Prinz, Science 282, 1660 (98) Wolf, Science 294, 1488 (01)

Spintronics = spin-based electronics

1. Ferromagnetic metal - based devices

2. Semiconductor based spin electronics

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Courtesy C.T. Foxon

Spintronics = spin-based electronics

1. Ferromagnetic metal - based devices 2. Semiconductor based spin electronics devices

3. Devices for the manipulation of single spin (quantum computing). The idea: Electron spins could be used as qubits. They can be up or down, but also in coherent superpositions of up and down states

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How can we measure the magnetic state of a thin epilayer: SQUID measurements but also Anomalous Hall effect

RHall

R0 RS B M d d

R0=1/pe Ordinary Hall effect contribution, negligible. RHall is proportional to M.

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Two main issues in semiconductor spintronics:

1. Avaiability of suitable materials Ideal material should be Easily integrable with electronic materials Able to incorporate both n- and p-type dopants With a TC above room T
2. Understandig and controlling the physical phenomena: Spin injection Transport of spin polarized carriers across interfaces Spin interactions in solids: role of defects, dimensionality, semiconductor band structure .................
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Magnetic semiconductor, constituted by a periodic array of magnetic ions Examples: Eu dichalcogenides (EuS, GdS, EuSe) and spinels CdCr2Se4.
Extensively studied in 60-70. Exchange interaction between electrons in the semiconducting band and localized electrons at the magnetic ions.

Interesting properties, but Crystal structure quite different from Si and GaAs, difficult to integrate Crystal growth very slow and difficult Low TC
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As one can obtain n- o p-type semiconductors by doping, one can syntetize new magnetic materials by introducing magnetic impurities in non magnetic semiconductors. Alloys of a nonmagnetic semiconductor and magnetic elements: Diluted Magnetic Semiconductors (DMS)
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II-VI DMS
ZnSe, CdSe and related alloys + Mn Mn (group II) substitute the cation. Isoelectronic incorporation, no solubility limit. Easy to prepare both as bulk material and epitaxial layers and etherostructures But Magnetic interaction dominated by antiferromagnetic direct exchange among Mn spins. In undoped material paramagnetic, antiferromagnetic and spinglass behavior, no FM Interesting: Giant Zeeman splitting !!
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III-V DMS
GaAs, InAs and their alloy + Mn. Mn substitute the cation and introduce a hole. Low solubility of the magnetic element, max 0.1 at % under normal growth condition.

Non-equilibrium epitaxial growth methods (MBE) to overcome the thermodynamic solubility limit. Standard MBE growth condition not sufficiently far from equilibrium
Low temperature MBE
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1992 FM InMnAs 1996 FM GaMnAs

The mechanism of FM in Mn based Zincblend DMS

Antiferromagnetic direct coupling between Mn ions. Dominate in undoped materials. Ferromagnetic coupling in p-type materials as a result of exchange interaction between substitutional Mn S=5/2 and hole spins. The exchange interaction follows from hybridization between Mn d orbital and valence band p orbital. Hole mediated FM

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See PRB 72, 165204(05) and reference therein

Hole mediated FM

See PRB 72, 165204(05) and reference therein

In a mean field virtual crystal approximation

TC xp

1 3

x = substitutional Mn p = hole density

In III-V DMS the holes comes from Mn !!! x and p are intimately related

Room temperature TC is expected for Ga0.9Mn0.1As.

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Know-how learning curve for GaMnAs MBE growth

Why its so difficult to rise TC???

Recipe determined by the Nottingham Univ. group (TC=173 K, world record)

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GaMnAs structure

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To increase TC one has to Minimize As antisite defects Minimize interstitial Mn Get sufficiently high Mn content

Mn incorporation
To increase Mn content and minimize surface segregation, low growth temperature

Ideal temperature vs Mn content identified by monitoring the RHEED : the highest T giving 2D RHEED
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R.P. Campion et al, JCG 251, 311 (03)

As antisite
As flux reduced to the minimum necessary in order to maintain a 2D RHEED pattern at the selected temperature. 2 Ga cell to maintain the exact stoichiometry during both GaAs and GaMnAs growth. Use of As2 instead of As4

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As antisite cannot be eliminated by post-growth treatments !!

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C.T.Foxon, private comm.

Interstitial Mn Interstitial Mn are detrimental for FM: are double donor are attracted by substitutional Mn and coupled with them antiferromagnetically reduce the effective Mn moments concentration xeff Evidences (by RBS and PIXE) of the presence of interstitial Mn in as grown GaMnAs.
Low T annealing reduce the interstitials density that diffuse toward the surface, rise TC and p
Yu et al, PRB 65,201303R (02) Edmonds et al, PRL 92, 037201 (04)
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Long annealing at T=180C.

TC increases with annealing

p increases with

annealing, no compensation in annealed samples

TC increase nearly linearly with xeff

RT TC expected at

xeff = 0.10.
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Jungwirth et al, PRB72, 165204 (05)

Nanoengineered TC by lateral patterning

Eid et al, APL86, 152505 (05)

50 nm Ga0.94Mn0.06As + 10 nm GaAs cap annealing is uneffective!

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Lateral patterning Tc + 50K with annealing! Free surface is important for interstitials passivation

Energy formation of interstitials depend on the Fermi energy of the material !!! Magnetization data in three p-type AlGaAs/GaMnAs/AlGaAs modulation doped heterostructures (MDH): N-MDH: Be above GaMnAs I-MDH: Be below GaMnAs. Lower TC and more interstitials in GaMnAs grown on p-type semicondctor!! This may be a limit for TC
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Yu et al, APL84, 4325 (04)

Alternative to bulk GaMnAs growth: Digital ferromagnetic heterostructure (DFH) Alternate deposition of GaAs and MnAs

Max TC = 50 K but also a single MnAs layer is FM!

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Kawakami et al, APL 77, 2379 (00)

n- and p-type doping of DFH by doping the GaAs spacers!! independent control of magnetism and free carriers

Johnston-Halperin et al, PRB 68, 165328 (03)

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Fermi Energy effect?

Alternative to bulk GaMnAs growth: Mn d-doping = d-like doping profile along the growth direction. Holes/Mn not enough to get FM. + p selectively doped heterostructure (p-SDHS) FM!!!

ds is the critical parameter no FM for ds 5nm

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Nazmul et al, PRB 67, 241308R(03)

Mn d-doping and heterostructue design

Record TC = 190 K after annealing

Record TC = 250 K after annealing !

EF effect on Mn interstitial density?

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Nazmul et al, PRL 95, 017201 (05)

Electric field control of ferromagnetism The idea: in hole mediated FM Decrease/increase of hole density Decraese/increase exchange interaction between Mn

Metal insulator FET InMnAs with TC above 20K

Isothermal and reversible change of the magnetic state

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Ohno et al, Nature 408, 944 (00)

II-VI Spin injectors Giant Zeeman splitting in II-VI Spin polarization detected from light polarization

Popt= (I(+)-I(- ))/ (I(+)+I(- )) =1/2 Pspin

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B0, low T

Fiederling et al, Nature 402, 787 (99)

III-V Spin injectors FM GaMnAs as spin aligner Spin-polarization measured from el-emission polarization

Below TC polarization survive also at H=0

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Ohno et al, Nature 402, 790 (99)

First observation of spin-dependent MR in all-semiconductor heterostructure

InGaAs buffer to get tensile strain and out of plane easy axis Two different Mn x to get different coercitive field
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R/R=0.2%
Akiba et al. JAP 87, 6436 (00)

Large TMR in semiconductor magnetic tunnel junction

In plane magnetic field Optimal barrier thickness 1.6 nm Antiparallel configuration is stable R/R=70%
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Tanaka et al, PRL 87, 026602 (01)

Large Magnetoresistance in GaMnAs nanoconstriction Large MR expected in transport trough domain wall Constrictions pin domain walls

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Rster et al, PRL 91, 216602 (03)

GMR: (a) 1.5% when R=48k further etching, (b) 8% when R=78k further etching, 2000% when R=4M!!! TMR!

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Rster et al, PRL 91, 216602 (03)

Tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance -TAMR New physics! Single GaMnAs magnetic layer AlOx tunnel barrier

Two resistance states Position and sign of the switch depend on Interplay of anisotropic DOS with and a two step magnetization reversal process
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Gould et al, PRL 93, 117203 (04)

Tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance -TAMR Huge effects and new physics

H perpendicular to the film (hard axis)

No histeresis!! Related to the absolute and not relative orientation

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Rster et al, PRL 94, 27203 (05)

In plane Field Angular dependence! Sensor of B orientation?

= 95 T=1.7K and low bias

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