Tunneling magneto thermocurrent in CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB based magnetic tunnel junctions: Applied Physics Letters: Vol 102, No 24

Abstract

We study the tunneling magneto thermopower and tunneling magneto thermocurrent of CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJ). The devices show a clear change of the thermoelectric properties upon reversal of the magnetisation of the CoFeB layers from parallel to the antiparallel orientation. When switching from parallel to antiparallel the thermopower increases by up to 55% whereas the thermocurrent drops by 45%. These observations can be well explained by the Onsager relations taking into account the tunneling magneto resistance of the MTJ. These findings contrast previous studies on Al₂O₃ based MTJ systems, revealing tunneling magneto thermo power but no tunneling magneto thermocurrent.

REFERENCES

1. G. E. Bauer, A. H. MacDonald, and S. Maekawa, Solid State Commun. 150, 459 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssc.2010.01.022 , Google ScholarCrossref, CAS
2. K. Uchida, H. Adachi, T. An, T. Ota, M. Toda, B. Hillebrands, S. Maekawa, and E. Saitoh, Nat. Mater. 10, 737 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat3099 , , Google ScholarCrossref, CAS
3. T. Kikkawa, K. Uchida, Y. Shiomi, Z. Qiu, D. Hou, D. Tian, H. Nakayama, X.-F. Jin, and E. Saitoh, Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 067207 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.067207 , , Google ScholarCrossref, CAS
4. D. Qu, S. Y. Huang, J. Hu, R. Wu, and C. L. Chien, Phys. Rev. Lett. 110, 067206 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.110.067206 , , Google ScholarCrossref, CAS
5. R. Jansen, A. M. Deac, H. Saito, and S. Yuasa, Phys. Rev. B 85, 094401 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.85.094401 , , Google ScholarCrossref
6. J.-C. Le Breton, S. Sharma, H. Saito, S. Yuasa, and R. Jansen, Nature (London) 475, 82 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nature10224 , , Google ScholarCrossref, CAS
7. X. Jia, K. Xia, and G. E. W. Bauer, Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 176603 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.176603 , , Google ScholarCrossref
8. N. Liebing, S. Serrano-Guisan, K. Rott, G. Reiss, J. Langer, B. Ocker, and H. W. Schumacher, Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 177201 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.107.177201 , , Google ScholarCrossref, CAS
9. N. Liebing, S. Serrano-Guisan, K. Rott, G. Reiss, J. Langer, B. Ocker, and H. W. Schumacher, J. Appl. Phys. 111, 07C520 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3679769 , , Google ScholarScitation
10. W. Lin, M. Hehn, L. Chaput, B. Negulescu, S. Andrieu, F. Montaigne, and S. Mangin, Nat. Commun. 3, 744 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/ncomms1748 , , Google ScholarCrossref
11. M. Walter, J. Walowski, V. Zbarsky, M. Münzenberg, M. Schäfers, D. Ebke, G. Reiss, A. Thomas, P. Peretzki, M. Seibt et al., Nat. Mater. 10, 742 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat3076 , , Google ScholarCrossref, CAS
12. S. Serrano-Guisan, K. Rott, G. Reiss, J. Langer, B. Ocker, and H. W. Schumacher, Phys. Rev. Lett. 101, 087201 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.101.087201 , , Google ScholarCrossref, CAS
13. The stacks are sputter deposited in a Singulus NDT Timaris Cluster Tool on a Si wafer capped with 100 nm SiO₂. , Google Scholar
14. V. Drewello, J. Schmalhorst, A. Thomas, and G. Reiss, Phys. Rev. B 77, 014440 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.77.014440 , Google ScholarCrossref
15. J. Hayakawa, S. Ikeda, Y. M. Lee, F. Matsukura, and H. Ohno, Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 232510 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2402904 , , Google ScholarScitation, ISI
16. S. S. P. Parkin, C. Kaiser, A. Panchula, P. M. Rice, B. Hughes, M. Samant, and S.-H. Yang, Nat. Mater. 3, 862 (2004). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat1256 , , Google ScholarCrossref, CAS
17. S. Yuasa, A. Fukushima, H. Kubota, Y. Suzuki, and K. Ando, Appl. Phys. Lett. 89, 042505 (2006). https://doi.org/10.1063/1.2236268 , , Google ScholarScitation
18. M. Czerner, M. Bachmann, and C. Heiliger, Phys. Rev. B 83, 132405 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.83.132405 , , Google ScholarCrossref
19. M. Johnson and R. H. Silsbee, Phys. Rev. B 35, 4959 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.35.4959 , , Google ScholarCrossref, CAS
20. M. Johnson, Solid State Commun. 150, 543 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssc.2009.10.027 , , Google ScholarCrossref, CAS
21. A. Boehnke, M. Walter, N. Roschewsky, T. Eggebrecht, V. Drewello, K. Rott, M. Münzenberg, A. Thomas, and G. Reiss, “ Time-resolved measurement of the tunnel magneto-Seebeck effect in a single magnetic tunnel junction,” Rev. Sci. Instrum. (to be published). , Google Scholar
© 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.

Article Metrics

Views

Citations

Crossref 17

Web of Science

ISI 18