Multiferroic tunnel junctions(MFTJs),which combine tunneling magnetoresistance(TMR)and electroresistance(TER)efects,have emerged as key candidates for data storage.Two-dimensional van der Waals(vdW)MFTJs,in particular...Multiferroic tunnel junctions(MFTJs),which combine tunneling magnetoresistance(TMR)and electroresistance(TER)efects,have emerged as key candidates for data storage.Two-dimensional van der Waals(vdW)MFTJs,in particular,are promising spintronic devices for the post-Moore era.However,these vdW MFTJs are typically based on multiferroics composed of ferromagnetic and ferroelectric materials or multilayer magnetic materials with sliding ferroelectricity,which increases device fabrication complexity.In this work,we design a vdW MFTJ using bilayer MoPtGe_(2)S_(6),a material with homologous multiferroicity in each monolayer,combined with symmetric PtTe_(2)electrodes.Using frst-principles calculations based on density functional theory and nonequilibrium Green's functions,we theoretically explore the spin-polarized electronic transport properties of this MFTJ.By controlling the ferroelectric and ferromagnetic polarization directions of bilayer MoPtGe_(2)S_(6),the MFTJ can exhibit six distinct non-volatile resistance states,with maximum TMR(137%)and TER(1943%)ratios.Under biaxial strain,TMR and TER can increase to 265%and 4210%,respectively.The TER ratio also increases to 2186%under a 0.1 V bias voltage.Remarkably,the MFTJ exhibits a pronounced spin-fltering and a signifcant negative diferential resistance efect.These fndings not only highlight the potential of monolayer multiferroic MoPtGe_(2)S_(6)for MFTJs but also ofer valuable theoretical insights for future experimental investigations.展开更多
Magnetic skyrmions are recognized as potential information carriers for building the next-generation spintronic memory and logic devices.Towards functional device applications,efficient electrical detection of skyrmio...Magnetic skyrmions are recognized as potential information carriers for building the next-generation spintronic memory and logic devices.Towards functional device applications,efficient electrical detection of skyrmions at room temperature is one of the most important prerequisites.展开更多
The InGaN films and GaN/InGaN/GaN tunnel junctions(TJs)were grown on GaN templates with plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy.As the In content increases,the quality of InGaN films grown on GaN templates decreases an...The InGaN films and GaN/InGaN/GaN tunnel junctions(TJs)were grown on GaN templates with plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy.As the In content increases,the quality of InGaN films grown on GaN templates decreases and the surface roughness of the samples increases.V-pits and trench defects were not found in the AFM images.p++-GaN/InGaN/n++-GaN TJs were investigated for various In content,InGaN thicknesses and doping concentration in the InGaN insert layer.The InGaN insert layer can promote good interband tunneling in GaN/InGaN/GaN TJ and significantly reduce operating voltage when doping is sufficiently high.The current density increases with increasing In content for the 3 nm InGaN insert layer,which is achieved by reducing the depletion zone width and the height of the potential barrier.At a forward current density of 500 A/cm^(2),the measured voltage was 4.31 V and the differential resistance was measured to be 3.75×10^(−3)Ω·cm^(2)for the device with a 3 nm p++-In_(0.35)Ga_(0.65)N insert layer.When the thickness of the In_(0.35)Ga_(0.65)N layer is closer to the“balanced”thickness,the TJ current density is higher.If the thickness is too high or too low,the width of the depletion zone will increase and the current density will decrease.The undoped InGaN layer has a better performance than n-type doping in the TJ.Polarization-engineered tunnel junctions can enhance the functionality and performance of electronic and optoelectronic devices.展开更多
We study theoretically the electrical shot noise properties of tunnel junctions between a normal metal and a superconductor with the mixture of singlet s-wave and chiral triplet p-wave pairing due to broken inversion ...We study theoretically the electrical shot noise properties of tunnel junctions between a normal metal and a superconductor with the mixture of singlet s-wave and chiral triplet p-wave pairing due to broken inversion symmetry. We investigate how the shot noise properties vary as the relative amplitude between the two parity components in the pairing potential is changed. It is demonstrated that some characteristics of the electrical shot noise properties of such tunnel junctions may depend sensitively on the relative amplitude between the two parity components in the pairing potential, and some significant changes may occur in the electrical shot noise properties when the relative amplitude between the two parity components is varied from the singlet s-wave pairing dominated regime to the chiral triplet p-wave pairing dominated regime. In the chiral triplet p-wave pairing dominated regime, the ratio of noise power to electric current is close to 2e both in the in-gap and in the out-gap region. In the singlet s-wave pairing dominated regime, the value of this ratio is close to 4e in the inner gap region but may reduce to about 2e in the outer gap region as the relative amplitude of the chiral triplet pairing component is increased. The variations of the differential shot noise with the bias voltage also exhibit some significantly different features in different regimes. Such different features can serve as useful diagnostic tools for the determination of the relative magnitude of the two parity components in the pairing potential.展开更多
The terahertz band,a unique segment of the electromagnetic spectrum,is crucial for observing the cold,dark universe and plays a pivotal role in cutting-edge scientific research,including the study of cosmic environmen...The terahertz band,a unique segment of the electromagnetic spectrum,is crucial for observing the cold,dark universe and plays a pivotal role in cutting-edge scientific research,including the study of cosmic environments that support life and imaging black holes.High-sensitivity superconductor–insulator–superconductor(SIS)mixers are essential detectors for terahertz astronomical telescopes and interferometric arrays.Compared to the commonly used classical Nb/AlO_(x)/Nb superconducting tunnel junction,the Nb/AlN/NbN hybrid superconducting tunnel junction has a higher energy gap voltage and can achieve a higher critical current density.This makes it particularly promising for the development of ultra-wideband,high-sensitivity coherent detectors or mixers in various scientific research fields.In this paper,we present a superconducting SIS mixer based on Nb/AlN/NbN parallel-connected twin junctions(PCTJ),which has a bandwidth extending up to490 GHz–720 GHz.The best achieved double-sideband(DSB)noise temperature(sensitivity)is below three times the quantum noise level.展开更多
Low frequency noise has been investigated at room temperature for asymmetric double barrier magnetic tunnel junctions（DBMTJs）, where the coupling between the top and middle CoFeB layers is antiferromagnetic with a 0...Low frequency noise has been investigated at room temperature for asymmetric double barrier magnetic tunnel junctions（DBMTJs）, where the coupling between the top and middle CoFeB layers is antiferromagnetic with a 0.8-nm thin top Mg O barrier of the CoFeB/MgO/CoFe/CoFeB/MgO/CoFe B DBMTJ. At enough large bias, 1/f noise dominates the voltage noise power spectra in the low frequency region, and is conventionally characterized by the Hooge parameter αmag.With increasing external field, the top and bottom ferromagnetic layers are aligned by the field, and then the middle free layer rotates from antiparallel state（antiferromagnetic coupling between top and middle ferromagnetic layers） to parallel state. In this rotation process αmag and magnetoresistance-sensitivity-product show a linear dependence, consistent with the fluctuation dissipation relation. With the magnetic field applied at different angles（θ） to the easy axis of the free layer,the linear dependence persists while the intercept of the linear fit satisfies a cos（θ） dependence, similar to that for the magnetoresistance, suggesting intrinsic relation between magnetic losses and magnetoresistance.展开更多
Nano-ring-type magnetic tunnel junctions （NR-MTJs） with the layer structure of Ta（5）/Ir22Mn78（10）/ Co75Fe25（2）/Ru（0.75）/CoooFe20B20（3）/Al（0.6）-oxide/Co60Fe20B20（2.5）/Ta（3）/Ru（5） （thickness unit：...Nano-ring-type magnetic tunnel junctions （NR-MTJs） with the layer structure of Ta（5）/Ir22Mn78（10）/ Co75Fe25（2）/Ru（0.75）/CoooFe20B20（3）/Al（0.6）-oxide/Co60Fe20B20（2.5）/Ta（3）/Ru（5） （thickness unit： nm） were nano-fabricated on the Si（100）/SiO2 substrate using magnetron sputtering deposition combined with the optical lithography, electron beam lithography （EBL） and Ar ion-beam etching techniques. The smaller NR-MTJs with the inner- and outer-diameter of around 50 and 100 nm and also their corresponding NR-MTJ arrays were nano-patterned. The tunnelling magnetoresistance （TMR ＆ R） versus driving current （I） loops for a spin-polarized current switching were measured, and the TMR ratio of around 35% at room temperature were observed. The critical values of switching current for the free Co60Fe20B20 layer relative to the reference Co6oFe2oB2o layer between parallel and anti-parallel magnetization states were between 0.50 and 0.75 mA in such NR-MTJs. It is suggested that the applicable MRAM fabrication with the density and capacity higher than 256 Mbit/inch2 even 6 Gbite/inch2 are possible using both I NR-MTJ＋1 transistor structure and current switching mechanism based on based on our fabricated 4×4 MRAM demo devices.展开更多
To improve the energy resolution（？E） of Nb/Al superconducting tunnel junctions（STJs）, an ozone（O3） oxidation process has been developed to fabricate a thin defect-free tunnel barrier that simultaneously shows h...To improve the energy resolution（？E） of Nb/Al superconducting tunnel junctions（STJs）, an ozone（O3） oxidation process has been developed to fabricate a thin defect-free tunnel barrier that simultaneously shows high critical current JC〉 1000 A/cm^2 and high normalized dynamic resistance RDA 〉 100 MΩ·μm^2, where A is the size of the STJ. The 50-μm^2 STJs produced by O3 exposure of 0.26 Pa·min with an indirect spray of O3 gas, which is a much lower level of exposure than the O2 exposure used in a conventional O2 oxidation process, exhibit a maximum JC= 800 A/cm^2 and a high RDA = 372 MΩ ·μm^2. The 100-pixel array of the 100-μm^2STJs produced using the same O3 oxidation conditions exhibits a constant leak current I leak= 14.9 ± 3.2 n A at a bias point around △ /e（where e is half the energy gap of an STJ）,and a high fabrication yield of 87%. Although the I leak values are slightly larger than those of STJs produced using the conventional O2 oxidation process, the STJ produced using O3 oxidation shows a ？E = 10 eV for the C-Kα line, which is the best value of our Nb/Al STJ x-ray detectors.展开更多
Temperature dependence of tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) ratio, resistance, and coercivity from 4.2 K to room temperature (RT), applied de bias voltage dependence of the TMR ratio and resistances at 4.2 K and RT, tunn...Temperature dependence of tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) ratio, resistance, and coercivity from 4.2 K to room temperature (RT), applied de bias voltage dependence of the TMR ratio and resistances at 4.2 K and RT, tunnel current I and dynamic conductance dI/dV as functions of the de bias voltage at 4.2 K, and inelastic electron tunneling (IET) spectroscopy, d(2)I/dV(2) versus V, at 4.2 K for a tunnel junction of Ta(5 nm)/Ni79Fe21(25 nm)/Ir22Mn78(12 nm)/Co75Fe25(4 nm)/Al(0.8 nm)-oxide/Co75Fe25(4 nm)/Ni79Fe21(25 nm)/Ta(5 nm) were systematically investigated. High TMR ratio of 59.2% at 4.2 K and 41.3% at RT were observed for this junction after annealing at 275 degreesC for an hour. The temperature dependence of TMR ratio and resistances from 4.2 to 300 K at 1.0 mV bias and the de bias voltage dependence of TMR ratio at 4.2 K from 0 to 80 mV can be evaluated by a comparison of self-consistent calculations with the experimental data based on the magnon-assisted inelastic excitation model and theory. An anisotropic wavelength cutoff energy of spin-wave spectrum in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) was suggested, which is necessary for self-consistent calculations, based on a series of IET spectra observed in the MTJs.展开更多
To study the influence of CoFeB/MgO interface on tunneling magnetoresistance （TMR）, different structures of magnetic tunnel junctions （MTJs） are successfully prepared by the magnetron sputtering technique and char...To study the influence of CoFeB/MgO interface on tunneling magnetoresistance （TMR）, different structures of magnetic tunnel junctions （MTJs） are successfully prepared by the magnetron sputtering technique and characterized by atomic force microscopy, a physical property measurement system, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The experimental results show that TMR of the CoFeB/Mg/MgO/CoFeB structure is evidently improved in comparison with the CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB structure because the inserted Mg layer prevents Fe-oxide formation at the CoFeB/MgO interface, which occurs in CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB MTJs. The inherent properties of the CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB, CoFeB/Fe-oxide/MgO/CoFeB and CoFeB/Mg/MgO/CoFeB MTJs are simulated by using the theories of density functions and non-equilibrium Green functions. The simulated results demonstrate that TMR of CoFeB/Fe-oxide/MgO/CoFeB MTJs is severely decreased and is only half the value of the CoFeB/Mg/MgO/CoFeB MTJs. Based on the experimental results and theoretical analysis, it is believed that in CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB MTJs, the interface oxidation of the CoFeB layer is the main reason to cause a remarkable reduction of TMR, and the inserted Mg layer may play an important role in protecting Fe atoms from oxidation, and then increasing TMR.展开更多
In this paper, the magnetization reversal of the ferromagnetic layers in the IrMn/CoFe/AlOx/CoFe magnetic tunnel junction has been investigated using bulk magnetometry. The films exhibit very complex magnetization pro...In this paper, the magnetization reversal of the ferromagnetic layers in the IrMn/CoFe/AlOx/CoFe magnetic tunnel junction has been investigated using bulk magnetometry. The films exhibit very complex magnetization processes and reversal mechanism. Thermal activation phenomena such as the training effect, the asymmetry of reversal, the loop broadening and the decrease of exchange field while holding the film at negative saturation have been observed on the hysteresis loops of the pinned ferromagnetic layer while not on those of the free ferromagnetic layer. The thermal activation phenomena observed can be explained by the model of two energy barrier distributions with different time constants.展开更多
Tantalum as an insulating barrier can take the place of Al in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). Ta barriers in MTJs were fabricated by natural oxidation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to characterize...Tantalum as an insulating barrier can take the place of Al in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). Ta barriers in MTJs were fabricated by natural oxidation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to characterize the oxidation states of Ta barrier. The experimental results show that the chemical state of tantalum is pure Ta^(5+) and the thickness of the oxide is 1.3 nm. The unoxidized Ta in the barrier may chemically reacted with NiFe layer which is usually used in MTJs to form an intermetallic compound, NiTa_2. A magnetic 'dead layer' could be produced in the NiFe/Ta interface. The 'dead layer' is likely to influence the spinning electron transport and the magnetoresistance effect.展开更多
Spin polarization in ferromagnetic metal/insulator/spin-filter barrier/nonmagnetic metal, referred to as quasimagnetic tunnel junctions, is studied within the free-electron model. Our results show that large positive ...Spin polarization in ferromagnetic metal/insulator/spin-filter barrier/nonmagnetic metal, referred to as quasimagnetic tunnel junctions, is studied within the free-electron model. Our results show that large positive or negative spin-polarization can be obtained at high bias in quasi-magnetic tunnel junctions, and within large bias variation regions, the degree of spin-polarization can be linearly tuned by bias. These linear variation regions of spin-polarization with bias are influenced by the barrier thicknesses, barrier heights and molecular fields in the spin-filter （SF） layer. Among them, the variations of thickness and heights of the insulating and SF barrier layers have influence on the value of spin-polarization and the linear variation regions of spin-polarization with bias. However, the variations of molecular field in the SF layer only have influence on the values of the spin-polarization and the influences on the linear variation regions of spin-polarization with bias are slight.展开更多
Tantalum as an insulating barrier can take the place of Al in magnetic tunneljunctions (MTJs). Ta barriers in MTJs were fabricated by natural oxidation. X-ray photoelectronspectroscopy (XPS) was used to characterize t...Tantalum as an insulating barrier can take the place of Al in magnetic tunneljunctions (MTJs). Ta barriers in MTJs were fabricated by natural oxidation. X-ray photoelectronspectroscopy (XPS) was used to characterize the oxidation states of Ta barrier. The experimentalresults show that the chemical state of tantalum is pure Ta^(5+) and the thickness of the oxide is1.3 nm. The unoxidized Ta in the barrier may chemically reacted with NiFe layer which is usuallyused in MTJs to form an intermetallic compound, NiTa_2. A magnetic 'dead layer' could be produced inthe NiFe/Ta interface. The 'dead layer' is likely to influence the spinning electron transport andthe magnetoresistance effect.展开更多
We investigate bias and different barrier thicknesses effects on quantities related to spin and charge currents in MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions. Using the non-Equilibrium Green＇s function formalism, we demonst...We investigate bias and different barrier thicknesses effects on quantities related to spin and charge currents in MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions. Using the non-Equilibrium Green＇s function formalism, we demonstrate that the in-plane and out-of-plane components of the spin-transfer torque have asymmetric and symmetric behaviors respectively. Magneto-resistance also decreases with increasing barrier thickness. The Landau–Lifshits–Gilbert equation describes the dynamics of the magnetization made by spin transfer torque. Increasing in spin current above its critical value or smaller the magnet reduces the switching time which is major result for making of new memory devices.展开更多
A new tunnel recombination junction is fabricated for n-i-p type micromorph tandem solar cells. We insert a thin heavily doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon （a-Si：H） p^＋ recombination layer between the n a-Si：H ...A new tunnel recombination junction is fabricated for n-i-p type micromorph tandem solar cells. We insert a thin heavily doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon （a-Si：H） p^＋ recombination layer between the n a-Si：H and the p hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon （nc-Si：H） layers to improve the performance of the n-i-p tandem solar cells. The effects of the boron doping gas ratio and the deposition time of the p-a-Si：H recombination layer on the tunnel recombination junctions have been investigated. The current-voltage characteristic of the tunnel recombination junction shows a nearly ohmic characteristic, and the resistance of the tunnel recombination junction can be as low as 1.5 Ω-cm^2 by using the optimized p-a-Si：H recombination layer. We obtain tandem solar cells with open circuit voltage Voc = 1.4 V, which is nearly the sum of the Vocs of the two corresponding single cells, indicating no Voc losses at the tunnel recombination junction.展开更多
The interface with a pinned dipole within the composite barrier in a ferroelectric tunnel junction（FTJ） with symmetric electrodes is investigated.Different from the detrimental effect of the interface between the el...The interface with a pinned dipole within the composite barrier in a ferroelectric tunnel junction（FTJ） with symmetric electrodes is investigated.Different from the detrimental effect of the interface between the electrode and barrier in previous studies,the existence of an interface between the dielectric SrTiO_3 slab and ferroelectric BaTiO_3 slab in FTJs will enhance the tunneling electroresistance（TER） effect.Specifically,the interface with a lower dielectric constant and larger polarization pointing to the ferroelectric slab favors the increase of TER ratio.Therefore,interface control of high performance FTJ can be achieved.展开更多
An explicit function expression for the bias voltage or/and temperature dependences of tunnel magnetoresistance ratio and resistances were obtained with a unique set of intrinsic parameters. Two of these intrinsic par...An explicit function expression for the bias voltage or/and temperature dependences of tunnel magnetoresistance ratio and resistances were obtained with a unique set of intrinsic parameters. Two of these intrinsic parameters are the Curie temperature TC and the density of state (DOS) for itinerant majority and minority electrons ξ(ρM/ρm), which are the eigen parameters of ferromagnetic electrodes. Others are the spin-dependent matrix-element ratio (i.e., |Td|2/|TJ|2 ) and the anisotropic-wavelength-cutoff energy ECγ of spin-wave spectrum in magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), which are the structure parameters of an MTJ. These intrinsic parameters can be predetermined using the experimental measurement or, in principle, using the first-principle calculation method for an MTJ with the three key layers of FM/I/FM. Furthermore, a series of experimental data for an MTJ, for example, a spin-valve-type MTJ of Ta (5 nm)/Ni79Fe21(25 nm)/lr22Mn78(12 nm)/Co75Fe25(4 nm)/AI(0.8 nm)-oxide/Co75Fe25(4 nm)/Ni79Fe21(20 nm)/Ta (5 nm) in this work, can be self-consistently evaluated and explained using such concise explicit function formulations.展开更多
We report a GaInP/GaAs tandem solar cell with a novel GaAs tunnel junction（TJ） with using tellurium（Te） and magnesium（Mg） as n- and p-type dopants via dual-filament low temperature effusion cells grown by molecu...We report a GaInP/GaAs tandem solar cell with a novel GaAs tunnel junction（TJ） with using tellurium（Te） and magnesium（Mg） as n- and p-type dopants via dual-filament low temperature effusion cells grown by molecular beam epitaxy（MBE） at low temperature. The test Te/Mg-doped GaAs TJ shows a peak current density of 21 A/cm2. The tandem solar cell by the Te/Mg TJ shows a short-circuit current density of 12 m A/cm2, but a low open-circuit voltage range of1.4 V^1.71 V under AM1.5 illumination. The secondary ion mass spectroscopy（SIMS） analysis reveals that the Te doping is unexpectedly high and its doping profile extends to the Mg doping region, thus possibly resulting in a less abrupt junction with no tunneling carriers effectively. Furthermore, the tunneling interface shifts from the intended Ga As n＋＋/p＋＋junction to the AlGaInP/GaAs junction with a higher bandgap AlGaInP tunneling layers, thereby reducing the tunneling peak. The Te concentration of ~ 2.5 × 1020 in GaAs could cause a lattice strain of 10-3 in magnitude and thus a surface roughening,which also negatively influences the subsequent growth of the top subcell and the GaAs contacting layers. The doping features of Te and Mg are discussed to understand the photovoltaic response of the studied tandem cell.展开更多
Multiferroic van der Waals (vdW) heterostructureshold great potential for next-generation spin-basedmemory and logic devices, offering versatile control overelectron spins and electric polarization in atomically thinp...Multiferroic van der Waals (vdW) heterostructureshold great potential for next-generation spin-basedmemory and logic devices, offering versatile control overelectron spins and electric polarization in atomically thinplatforms. However, achieving exceptionally large tunnelmagnetoresistance (TMR), stable multi-resistance states, andlow resistance-area (RA) products remains a challenge. Here,using first-principles calculations, we address these issues bydesigning a Fe_(3)GaTe_(2)/α-In_(2)Se_(3)/Fe_(3)GaTe_(2) multiferroic tunneljunction (MFTJ). We demonstrate large TMR values exceeding105%, nonvolatile multistate and RA product below 1 Ω μm^(2),which matched the requirements for high-density memorycells. The remarkably low RA products from the ultrathinferroelectric barrier’s narrow bandgap, while the exceptionallyhigh TMR and nearly perfect spin polarization originate fromenhanced momentum-selective tunneling at the Fe_(3)GaTe_(2)/α-In_(2)Se_(3) interface. Moreover, the low energy barrier for ferroelectricswitching enables efficient voltage-driven polarizationcontrol. These findings establish a clear pathway for integratinglow-RA, high-TMR, and multistate MFTJs intospintronic architectures, accelerating the development ofhigh-density, energy-efficient data storage and processingtechnologies.展开更多
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2022YFB3505301)the National Key R&D Program of Shanxi Province(Grant No.202302050201014)+1 种基金the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.12304148)the Natural Science Basic Research Program of Shanxi Province(Grant No.202203021222219)。
文摘Multiferroic tunnel junctions(MFTJs),which combine tunneling magnetoresistance(TMR)and electroresistance(TER)efects,have emerged as key candidates for data storage.Two-dimensional van der Waals(vdW)MFTJs,in particular,are promising spintronic devices for the post-Moore era.However,these vdW MFTJs are typically based on multiferroics composed of ferromagnetic and ferroelectric materials or multilayer magnetic materials with sliding ferroelectricity,which increases device fabrication complexity.In this work,we design a vdW MFTJ using bilayer MoPtGe_(2)S_(6),a material with homologous multiferroicity in each monolayer,combined with symmetric PtTe_(2)electrodes.Using frst-principles calculations based on density functional theory and nonequilibrium Green's functions,we theoretically explore the spin-polarized electronic transport properties of this MFTJ.By controlling the ferroelectric and ferromagnetic polarization directions of bilayer MoPtGe_(2)S_(6),the MFTJ can exhibit six distinct non-volatile resistance states,with maximum TMR(137%)and TER(1943%)ratios.Under biaxial strain,TMR and TER can increase to 265%and 4210%,respectively.The TER ratio also increases to 2186%under a 0.1 V bias voltage.Remarkably,the MFTJ exhibits a pronounced spin-fltering and a signifcant negative diferential resistance efect.These fndings not only highlight the potential of monolayer multiferroic MoPtGe_(2)S_(6)for MFTJs but also ofer valuable theoretical insights for future experimental investigations.
基金supported by the National Key R&D Program of China(Grant No.2022YFA1405100)the NSFC distinguished Young Scholar program(Grant No.12225409)+6 种基金the Basic Science Center Project of National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)(Grant No.52388201)the NSFC general program(Grant Nos.52271181,51831005,and 12421004)the Innovation Program for Quantum Science and Technology(Grant No.2023ZD0300500)Beijing Natural Science Foundation(Grant No.Z240006)supported by the KAUST Office of Sponsored Research(OSR)under Award Nos.ORA-CRG102021-4665 and ORA-CRG11-2022-5031supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2024YFA1408503)Sichuan Province Science and Technology Support Program(No.2025YFHZ0147)。
文摘Magnetic skyrmions are recognized as potential information carriers for building the next-generation spintronic memory and logic devices.Towards functional device applications,efficient electrical detection of skyrmions at room temperature is one of the most important prerequisites.
基金supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China (2017YFE0131500, 2022YFB2802801)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (61834008, U21A20493)+1 种基金the Key Research and Development Program of Jiangsu Province (BE2020004, BE2021008-1)the Suzhou Key Laboratory of New-type Laser Display Technology (SZS2022007)
文摘The InGaN films and GaN/InGaN/GaN tunnel junctions(TJs)were grown on GaN templates with plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy.As the In content increases,the quality of InGaN films grown on GaN templates decreases and the surface roughness of the samples increases.V-pits and trench defects were not found in the AFM images.p++-GaN/InGaN/n++-GaN TJs were investigated for various In content,InGaN thicknesses and doping concentration in the InGaN insert layer.The InGaN insert layer can promote good interband tunneling in GaN/InGaN/GaN TJ and significantly reduce operating voltage when doping is sufficiently high.The current density increases with increasing In content for the 3 nm InGaN insert layer,which is achieved by reducing the depletion zone width and the height of the potential barrier.At a forward current density of 500 A/cm^(2),the measured voltage was 4.31 V and the differential resistance was measured to be 3.75×10^(−3)Ω·cm^(2)for the device with a 3 nm p++-In_(0.35)Ga_(0.65)N insert layer.When the thickness of the In_(0.35)Ga_(0.65)N layer is closer to the“balanced”thickness,the TJ current density is higher.If the thickness is too high or too low,the width of the depletion zone will increase and the current density will decrease.The undoped InGaN layer has a better performance than n-type doping in the TJ.Polarization-engineered tunnel junctions can enhance the functionality and performance of electronic and optoelectronic devices.
文摘We study theoretically the electrical shot noise properties of tunnel junctions between a normal metal and a superconductor with the mixture of singlet s-wave and chiral triplet p-wave pairing due to broken inversion symmetry. We investigate how the shot noise properties vary as the relative amplitude between the two parity components in the pairing potential is changed. It is demonstrated that some characteristics of the electrical shot noise properties of such tunnel junctions may depend sensitively on the relative amplitude between the two parity components in the pairing potential, and some significant changes may occur in the electrical shot noise properties when the relative amplitude between the two parity components is varied from the singlet s-wave pairing dominated regime to the chiral triplet p-wave pairing dominated regime. In the chiral triplet p-wave pairing dominated regime, the ratio of noise power to electric current is close to 2e both in the in-gap and in the out-gap region. In the singlet s-wave pairing dominated regime, the value of this ratio is close to 4e in the inner gap region but may reduce to about 2e in the outer gap region as the relative amplitude of the chiral triplet pairing component is increased. The variations of the differential shot noise with the bias voltage also exhibit some significantly different features in different regimes. Such different features can serve as useful diagnostic tools for the determination of the relative magnitude of the two parity components in the pairing potential.
基金Project supported in part by the National Key Research and Development Program of China(Grant Nos.2023YFA1608201 and 2023YFF0722301)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11925304,12020101002,12333013,12273119,and 12103093)supported by grant from the Russian Science Foundation(Grant No.23-7900019)。
文摘The terahertz band,a unique segment of the electromagnetic spectrum,is crucial for observing the cold,dark universe and plays a pivotal role in cutting-edge scientific research,including the study of cosmic environments that support life and imaging black holes.High-sensitivity superconductor–insulator–superconductor(SIS)mixers are essential detectors for terahertz astronomical telescopes and interferometric arrays.Compared to the commonly used classical Nb/AlO_(x)/Nb superconducting tunnel junction,the Nb/AlN/NbN hybrid superconducting tunnel junction has a higher energy gap voltage and can achieve a higher critical current density.This makes it particularly promising for the development of ultra-wideband,high-sensitivity coherent detectors or mixers in various scientific research fields.In this paper,we present a superconducting SIS mixer based on Nb/AlN/NbN parallel-connected twin junctions(PCTJ),which has a bandwidth extending up to490 GHz–720 GHz.The best achieved double-sideband(DSB)noise temperature(sensitivity)is below three times the quantum noise level.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(Grant Nos.2011CBA00106,2012CB927400,2010CB934401,and 2014AA032904)the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China(Grant No.2014AA032904)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant Nos.11434014 and 11104252)
文摘Low frequency noise has been investigated at room temperature for asymmetric double barrier magnetic tunnel junctions（DBMTJs）, where the coupling between the top and middle CoFeB layers is antiferromagnetic with a 0.8-nm thin top Mg O barrier of the CoFeB/MgO/CoFe/CoFeB/MgO/CoFe B DBMTJ. At enough large bias, 1/f noise dominates the voltage noise power spectra in the low frequency region, and is conventionally characterized by the Hooge parameter αmag.With increasing external field, the top and bottom ferromagnetic layers are aligned by the field, and then the middle free layer rotates from antiparallel state（antiferromagnetic coupling between top and middle ferromagnetic layers） to parallel state. In this rotation process αmag and magnetoresistance-sensitivity-product show a linear dependence, consistent with the fluctuation dissipation relation. With the magnetic field applied at different angles（θ） to the easy axis of the free layer,the linear dependence persists while the intercept of the linear fit satisfies a cos（θ） dependence, similar to that for the magnetoresistance, suggesting intrinsic relation between magnetic losses and magnetoresistance.
基金the State Key Project of Fundamental Research of Ministry of Science and Technology （No. 2006CB932200） the National Natural Science Foundation of China （NSFC, No. 10574156）+2 种基金 the Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Aca.demy of Sciencesthe protial support of 0utstanding Young Researcher Foundation （Nos. 50325104 and 50528101） K.C.Wong Education Foundation, Hong Kong.
文摘Nano-ring-type magnetic tunnel junctions （NR-MTJs） with the layer structure of Ta（5）/Ir22Mn78（10）/ Co75Fe25（2）/Ru（0.75）/CoooFe20B20（3）/Al（0.6）-oxide/Co60Fe20B20（2.5）/Ta（3）/Ru（5） （thickness unit： nm） were nano-fabricated on the Si（100）/SiO2 substrate using magnetron sputtering deposition combined with the optical lithography, electron beam lithography （EBL） and Ar ion-beam etching techniques. The smaller NR-MTJs with the inner- and outer-diameter of around 50 and 100 nm and also their corresponding NR-MTJ arrays were nano-patterned. The tunnelling magnetoresistance （TMR ＆ R） versus driving current （I） loops for a spin-polarized current switching were measured, and the TMR ratio of around 35% at room temperature were observed. The critical values of switching current for the free Co60Fe20B20 layer relative to the reference Co6oFe2oB2o layer between parallel and anti-parallel magnetization states were between 0.50 and 0.75 mA in such NR-MTJs. It is suggested that the applicable MRAM fabrication with the density and capacity higher than 256 Mbit/inch2 even 6 Gbite/inch2 are possible using both I NR-MTJ＋1 transistor structure and current switching mechanism based on based on our fabricated 4×4 MRAM demo devices.
文摘To improve the energy resolution（？E） of Nb/Al superconducting tunnel junctions（STJs）, an ozone（O3） oxidation process has been developed to fabricate a thin defect-free tunnel barrier that simultaneously shows high critical current JC〉 1000 A/cm^2 and high normalized dynamic resistance RDA 〉 100 MΩ·μm^2, where A is the size of the STJ. The 50-μm^2 STJs produced by O3 exposure of 0.26 Pa·min with an indirect spray of O3 gas, which is a much lower level of exposure than the O2 exposure used in a conventional O2 oxidation process, exhibit a maximum JC= 800 A/cm^2 and a high RDA = 372 MΩ ·μm^2. The 100-pixel array of the 100-μm^2STJs produced using the same O3 oxidation conditions exhibits a constant leak current I leak= 14.9 ± 3.2 n A at a bias point around △ /e（where e is half the energy gap of an STJ）,and a high fabrication yield of 87%. Although the I leak values are slightly larger than those of STJs produced using the conventional O2 oxidation process, the STJ produced using O3 oxidation shows a ？E = 10 eV for the C-Kα line, which is the best value of our Nb/Al STJ x-ray detectors.
文摘Temperature dependence of tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) ratio, resistance, and coercivity from 4.2 K to room temperature (RT), applied de bias voltage dependence of the TMR ratio and resistances at 4.2 K and RT, tunnel current I and dynamic conductance dI/dV as functions of the de bias voltage at 4.2 K, and inelastic electron tunneling (IET) spectroscopy, d(2)I/dV(2) versus V, at 4.2 K for a tunnel junction of Ta(5 nm)/Ni79Fe21(25 nm)/Ir22Mn78(12 nm)/Co75Fe25(4 nm)/Al(0.8 nm)-oxide/Co75Fe25(4 nm)/Ni79Fe21(25 nm)/Ta(5 nm) were systematically investigated. High TMR ratio of 59.2% at 4.2 K and 41.3% at RT were observed for this junction after annealing at 275 degreesC for an hour. The temperature dependence of TMR ratio and resistances from 4.2 to 300 K at 1.0 mV bias and the de bias voltage dependence of TMR ratio at 4.2 K from 0 to 80 mV can be evaluated by a comparison of self-consistent calculations with the experimental data based on the magnon-assisted inelastic excitation model and theory. An anisotropic wavelength cutoff energy of spin-wave spectrum in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) was suggested, which is necessary for self-consistent calculations, based on a series of IET spectra observed in the MTJs.
基金Supported by the National Defense Advance Research Foundation under Grant No 9140A08XXXXXX0DZ106the Basic Research Program of Ministry of Education of China under Grant No JY10000925005+2 种基金the Scientific Research Program Funded by Shaanxi Provincial Education Department under Grant No 11JK0912the Scientific Research Foundation of Xi'an University of Science and Technology under Grant No 2010011the Doctoral Research Startup Fund of Xi'an University of Science and Technology under Grant No 2010QDJ029
文摘To study the influence of CoFeB/MgO interface on tunneling magnetoresistance （TMR）, different structures of magnetic tunnel junctions （MTJs） are successfully prepared by the magnetron sputtering technique and characterized by atomic force microscopy, a physical property measurement system, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The experimental results show that TMR of the CoFeB/Mg/MgO/CoFeB structure is evidently improved in comparison with the CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB structure because the inserted Mg layer prevents Fe-oxide formation at the CoFeB/MgO interface, which occurs in CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB MTJs. The inherent properties of the CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB, CoFeB/Fe-oxide/MgO/CoFeB and CoFeB/Mg/MgO/CoFeB MTJs are simulated by using the theories of density functions and non-equilibrium Green functions. The simulated results demonstrate that TMR of CoFeB/Fe-oxide/MgO/CoFeB MTJs is severely decreased and is only half the value of the CoFeB/Mg/MgO/CoFeB MTJs. Based on the experimental results and theoretical analysis, it is believed that in CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB MTJs, the interface oxidation of the CoFeB layer is the main reason to cause a remarkable reduction of TMR, and the inserted Mg layer may play an important role in protecting Fe atoms from oxidation, and then increasing TMR.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No 50671048)
文摘In this paper, the magnetization reversal of the ferromagnetic layers in the IrMn/CoFe/AlOx/CoFe magnetic tunnel junction has been investigated using bulk magnetometry. The films exhibit very complex magnetization processes and reversal mechanism. Thermal activation phenomena such as the training effect, the asymmetry of reversal, the loop broadening and the decrease of exchange field while holding the film at negative saturation have been observed on the hysteresis loops of the pinned ferromagnetic layer while not on those of the free ferromagnetic layer. The thermal activation phenomena observed can be explained by the model of two energy barrier distributions with different time constants.
文摘Tantalum as an insulating barrier can take the place of Al in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). Ta barriers in MTJs were fabricated by natural oxidation. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) was used to characterize the oxidation states of Ta barrier. The experimental results show that the chemical state of tantalum is pure Ta^(5+) and the thickness of the oxide is 1.3 nm. The unoxidized Ta in the barrier may chemically reacted with NiFe layer which is usually used in MTJs to form an intermetallic compound, NiTa_2. A magnetic 'dead layer' could be produced in the NiFe/Ta interface. The 'dead layer' is likely to influence the spinning electron transport and the magnetoresistance effect.
基金Supported by the Key Natural Science Fund of Sichuan Province Education Department under Grant Nos 13ZA0149 and16ZA0047the Construction Plan for Scientific Research Innovation Team of Universities in Sichuan Province under Grant No12TD008
文摘Spin polarization in ferromagnetic metal/insulator/spin-filter barrier/nonmagnetic metal, referred to as quasimagnetic tunnel junctions, is studied within the free-electron model. Our results show that large positive or negative spin-polarization can be obtained at high bias in quasi-magnetic tunnel junctions, and within large bias variation regions, the degree of spin-polarization can be linearly tuned by bias. These linear variation regions of spin-polarization with bias are influenced by the barrier thicknesses, barrier heights and molecular fields in the spin-filter （SF） layer. Among them, the variations of thickness and heights of the insulating and SF barrier layers have influence on the value of spin-polarization and the linear variation regions of spin-polarization with bias. However, the variations of molecular field in the SF layer only have influence on the values of the spin-polarization and the influences on the linear variation regions of spin-polarization with bias are slight.
基金This work was financially supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and the Research Foundation for the Doctoral Program of Higher Education of China under Grant No.50271007 and 20030008003, respectively
文摘Tantalum as an insulating barrier can take the place of Al in magnetic tunneljunctions (MTJs). Ta barriers in MTJs were fabricated by natural oxidation. X-ray photoelectronspectroscopy (XPS) was used to characterize the oxidation states of Ta barrier. The experimentalresults show that the chemical state of tantalum is pure Ta^(5+) and the thickness of the oxide is1.3 nm. The unoxidized Ta in the barrier may chemically reacted with NiFe layer which is usuallyused in MTJs to form an intermetallic compound, NiTa_2. A magnetic 'dead layer' could be produced inthe NiFe/Ta interface. The 'dead layer' is likely to influence the spinning electron transport andthe magnetoresistance effect.
文摘We investigate bias and different barrier thicknesses effects on quantities related to spin and charge currents in MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions. Using the non-Equilibrium Green＇s function formalism, we demonstrate that the in-plane and out-of-plane components of the spin-transfer torque have asymmetric and symmetric behaviors respectively. Magneto-resistance also decreases with increasing barrier thickness. The Landau–Lifshits–Gilbert equation describes the dynamics of the magnetization made by spin transfer torque. Increasing in spin current above its critical value or smaller the magnet reduces the switching time which is major result for making of new memory devices.
基金Project supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (Grant No. 2006CB202604)the Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No. 1KGCX2-YW-383-1)the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China (Grant No. SQ2010AA0521758001)
文摘A new tunnel recombination junction is fabricated for n-i-p type micromorph tandem solar cells. We insert a thin heavily doped hydrogenated amorphous silicon （a-Si：H） p^＋ recombination layer between the n a-Si：H and the p hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon （nc-Si：H） layers to improve the performance of the n-i-p tandem solar cells. The effects of the boron doping gas ratio and the deposition time of the p-a-Si：H recombination layer on the tunnel recombination junctions have been investigated. The current-voltage characteristic of the tunnel recombination junction shows a nearly ohmic characteristic, and the resistance of the tunnel recombination junction can be as low as 1.5 Ω-cm^2 by using the optimized p-a-Si：H recombination layer. We obtain tandem solar cells with open circuit voltage Voc = 1.4 V, which is nearly the sum of the Vocs of the two corresponding single cells, indicating no Voc losses at the tunnel recombination junction.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.11274054)the Open Project of Jiangsu Provincial Laboratory of Advanced Functional Materials,China(Grant No.12KFJJ005)
文摘The interface with a pinned dipole within the composite barrier in a ferroelectric tunnel junction（FTJ） with symmetric electrodes is investigated.Different from the detrimental effect of the interface between the electrode and barrier in previous studies,the existence of an interface between the dielectric SrTiO_3 slab and ferroelectric BaTiO_3 slab in FTJs will enhance the tunneling electroresistance（TER） effect.Specifically,the interface with a lower dielectric constant and larger polarization pointing to the ferroelectric slab favors the increase of TER ratio.Therefore,interface control of high performance FTJ can be achieved.
基金This work was supported by 2000 Hundred Talents Program project of Chinese Academy of Sciences and 973 project with Grant No. 2001CB610601 of PRC Ministry of Science and Technology. X.F.Han also gratefully acknowledges the partial support of K.C.Wong Edu
文摘An explicit function expression for the bias voltage or/and temperature dependences of tunnel magnetoresistance ratio and resistances were obtained with a unique set of intrinsic parameters. Two of these intrinsic parameters are the Curie temperature TC and the density of state (DOS) for itinerant majority and minority electrons ξ(ρM/ρm), which are the eigen parameters of ferromagnetic electrodes. Others are the spin-dependent matrix-element ratio (i.e., |Td|2/|TJ|2 ) and the anisotropic-wavelength-cutoff energy ECγ of spin-wave spectrum in magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), which are the structure parameters of an MTJ. These intrinsic parameters can be predetermined using the experimental measurement or, in principle, using the first-principle calculation method for an MTJ with the three key layers of FM/I/FM. Furthermore, a series of experimental data for an MTJ, for example, a spin-valve-type MTJ of Ta (5 nm)/Ni79Fe21(25 nm)/lr22Mn78(12 nm)/Co75Fe25(4 nm)/AI(0.8 nm)-oxide/Co75Fe25(4 nm)/Ni79Fe21(20 nm)/Ta (5 nm) in this work, can be self-consistently evaluated and explained using such concise explicit function formulations.
基金Project supported by the SINANO-SONY Joint Program(Grant No.Y1AAQ11001)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Grant No.61274134)+1 种基金the USCB Start-up Program(Grant No.06105033)the International Cooperation Projects of Suzhou City,China(Grant No.SH201215)
文摘We report a GaInP/GaAs tandem solar cell with a novel GaAs tunnel junction（TJ） with using tellurium（Te） and magnesium（Mg） as n- and p-type dopants via dual-filament low temperature effusion cells grown by molecular beam epitaxy（MBE） at low temperature. The test Te/Mg-doped GaAs TJ shows a peak current density of 21 A/cm2. The tandem solar cell by the Te/Mg TJ shows a short-circuit current density of 12 m A/cm2, but a low open-circuit voltage range of1.4 V^1.71 V under AM1.5 illumination. The secondary ion mass spectroscopy（SIMS） analysis reveals that the Te doping is unexpectedly high and its doping profile extends to the Mg doping region, thus possibly resulting in a less abrupt junction with no tunneling carriers effectively. Furthermore, the tunneling interface shifts from the intended Ga As n＋＋/p＋＋junction to the AlGaInP/GaAs junction with a higher bandgap AlGaInP tunneling layers, thereby reducing the tunneling peak. The Te concentration of ~ 2.5 × 1020 in GaAs could cause a lattice strain of 10-3 in magnitude and thus a surface roughening,which also negatively influences the subsequent growth of the top subcell and the GaAs contacting layers. The doping features of Te and Mg are discussed to understand the photovoltaic response of the studied tandem cell.
基金supported by the Beijing Natural Science Foundation (4232070)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (T2394475, 62371019, 92164206, and 52261145694)+1 种基金the Research Start-up Funds of Hangzhou International Innovation Institute of Beihang University (2024KQ052)the International Mobility Project (B16001)。
文摘Multiferroic van der Waals (vdW) heterostructureshold great potential for next-generation spin-basedmemory and logic devices, offering versatile control overelectron spins and electric polarization in atomically thinplatforms. However, achieving exceptionally large tunnelmagnetoresistance (TMR), stable multi-resistance states, andlow resistance-area (RA) products remains a challenge. Here,using first-principles calculations, we address these issues bydesigning a Fe_(3)GaTe_(2)/α-In_(2)Se_(3)/Fe_(3)GaTe_(2) multiferroic tunneljunction (MFTJ). We demonstrate large TMR values exceeding105%, nonvolatile multistate and RA product below 1 Ω μm^(2),which matched the requirements for high-density memorycells. The remarkably low RA products from the ultrathinferroelectric barrier’s narrow bandgap, while the exceptionallyhigh TMR and nearly perfect spin polarization originate fromenhanced momentum-selective tunneling at the Fe_(3)GaTe_(2)/α-In_(2)Se_(3) interface. Moreover, the low energy barrier for ferroelectricswitching enables efficient voltage-driven polarizationcontrol. These findings establish a clear pathway for integratinglow-RA, high-TMR, and multistate MFTJs intospintronic architectures, accelerating the development ofhigh-density, energy-efficient data storage and processingtechnologies.
