We demonstrated the generation of perpendicularly spin-polarized electronic currents using a tunnel spin-filtering effect through insulative Fe-rich cobalt ferrite Co xFe3− xO4+δ (I-CFO) barriers with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA). The I-CFO films grown on conductive Fe-rich cobalt ferrite Co yFe3− yO4 (C-CFO) films, which were deposited on additional I-CFO buffer layers on MgO(001) substrates, exhibited PMA induced by an epitaxial strain. Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), which comprise C-CFO electrode layers, I-CFO barrier layers, and perpendicularly magnetized Co/{Tb/Co}15/Co spin detection layers, showed a tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) effect. This indicated that spin-polarized tunnel currents were injected into the spin detection layers. A spin injection efficiency of −28% was observed for the MTJs with an I-CFO barrier of 3.0 nm in thickness at 100 K. The voltage dependence of the TMR effect indicates that the spin-injection efficiency is affected by voltage-dependent changes in the effective spin-dependent barrier width. The combination of spinel-type C-CFO and I-CFO films with well-controlled compositions and lattice strains is, therefore, applicable as a spin-injection source for spintronics devices when perpendicularly spin-polarized electronic currents are required.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.