We study the charge and spin currents passing through a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) on the basis of a tight-binding model. The currents are evaluated perturbatively with respect to the tunnel Hamiltonian. The charge current has the form $A[\bm M_1(t)\times\dot{\bm M}_1(t)]\cdot\bm M_2+B\dot{\bm M}_1(t)\cdot\bm M_2$, where $\bm M_1(t)$ and $\bm M_2$ denote the directions of the magnetization in the free layer and fixed layer, respectively. The constant $A$ vanishes when one or both layers are insulators, {while the constant $B$ disappears when both layers are insulators or the same ferromagnets.} The first term in the expression for charge current represents dissipation driven by the effective electric field induced by the dynamic magnetization. In addition, from an investigation of the spin current, we obtain the microscopic expression for the enhanced Gilbert damping constant $\varDelta α$. We show that $\varDeltaα$ is proportional to the tunnel conductance and depends on the bias voltage.
We report the experimental observation of sub-Poissonian shot noise in single magnetic tunnel junctions, indicating the importance of tunneling via impurity levels inside the tunnel barrier. For junctions with weak zero-bias anomaly in conductance, the Fano factor (normalized shot noise) depends on the magnetic configuration being enhanced for antiparallel alignment of the ferromagnetic electrodes. We propose a model of sequential tunneling through nonmagnetic and paramagnetic impurity levels inside the tunnel barrier to qualitatively explain the observations.
We theoretically investigate the angular and spin dependent transport in normal-metal/helical-multiferroic/ferromagnetic heterojunctions. We find a tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance (TAMR) effect due to the spiral magnetic order in the tunnel junction and to an effective spin-orbit coupling induced by the topology of the localized magnetic moments in the multiferroic spacer. The predicted TAMR effect is efficiently controllable by an external electric field due to the magnetoelectric coupling.
Statistics of electron tunneling in normal tunnel junctions is studied analytically and numerically taking into account circuit (environment) effects. Full counting statistics, as well as full statistics of voltage and phase have been found for arbitrary times of observation. The theoretical analysis was based on the classical master equation, whereas the numerical simulations employed standard Monte-Carlo methods.
We calculate the contribution to the spin transfer torque from sequential tunneling through impurities in a magnetic tunnel junction. For a junction with weakly polarized ferromagnetic contacts, the torque is found to be in the plane spanned by the magnetizations of the ferromagnetic contacts and proportional to $\sin θ$, where $θ$ is the angle between the magnetic moments. If the polarization is larger, the torque acquires a significant out-of-plane component and a different dependence on $θ$.
1. Introduction 2. Description of the environment 3. Electron tunneling rates for single tunnel junctions 4. Examples of electromagnetic environments 5. Tunneling rates in Josephson junctions 6. Double junction and single electron transistor 7. Microscopic foundation
Micrometer-sized Al/AlO$_{x}$/Y tunnel junctions were fabricated by the electron-beam lithography technique. The thin ($\approx$ 1.5--2 nm thickness) insulating AlO$_{x}$ layer was grown on top of the Al base electrode by O$_{2}$ glow discharge. The zero-bias conductances $G(T)$ and the current-voltage characteristics of the junctions were measured in a wide temperature range 1.5--300 K\@. In addition to the direct tunneling conduction mechanism observed in low-$G$ junctions, high-$G$ junctions reveal a distinct charge transport process which manifests the thermally fluctuation-induced tunneli…
This chapter presents a review on spin transfer torque in magnetic tunnel junctions. In the first part, we propose an overview of experimental and theoretical studies addressing current-induced magnetization excitations in magnetic tunnel junctions. The most significant results are presented and the main observable characteristics are discussed. A description of the mechanism of spin transfer in ferromagnets is finally proposed. In the second part, a quantum description of spin transport in magnetic tunnel junctions with amorphous barrier is developed. The role of spin-dependent reflections as…
We study influence of image forces on conductance of ferroelectric tunnel junctions. We show that the influence of image forces is twofold: i) they enhance the electro-resistance effect due to polarization hysteresis in symmetric tunnel junctions at non-zero bias and ii) they produce the electro-resistance effect due to hysteresis of dielectric permittivity of ferroelectric barrier. We study dependence of ferroelectric tunnel junction conductance on temperature and show that image forces lead to strong conductance variation with temperature.
The effects of the spin-orbit interaction on the tunneling magnetoresistance of magnetic tunnel junctions are investigated. A model in which the experimentally observed two-fold symmetry of the anisotropic tunneling magnetoresistance (TAMR) originates from the interference between Dresselhaus and Bychkov-Rashba spin-orbit couplings is formulated. Bias induced changes of the Bychkov-Rashba spin-orbit coupling strength can result in an inversion of the TAMR. The theoretical calculations are in good agreement with the TAMR experimentally observed in epitaxial Fe/GaAs/Au tunnel junctions.
A multi-level Anderson model is employed to simulate the system of a nanostructure tunnel junction with any number of one-particle energy levels. The tunneling current, including both shell-tunneling and shell-filling cases, is theoretically investigated via the nonequilibrium Green's function method. We obtain a closed form for the spectral function, which is used to analyze the complicated tunneling current spectra of a quantum dot or molecule embedded in a double-barrier junction. We also show that negative differential conductance can be observed in a quantum dot tunnel junction when the C…
We show that the S/F/S Josephson $φ_0$-junction permits detection of macroscopic quantum tunneling and quantum oscillation of the magnetic moment by measuring the ac voltage across the junction. Exact expression for the tunnel splitting renormalized by the interaction with the superconducting order parameter is obtained. It is demonstrated that magnetic tunneling may become frozen at a sufficiently large $φ_0$. The quality factor of quantum oscillations of the magnetic moment due to finite Ohmic resistance of the junction is computed. It is shown that magnetic tunneling rate in the $φ_0$-junct…
Spin filter tunnel junctions are based on selective tunneling of up and down spin electrons controlled through exchange splitting of the band structure of a ferromagnetic insulator. Therefore, spin filter efficiency can be tuned by adjusting exchange strength of the tunnel barrier. We have observed that magnetic field and bias voltage (current) can be used to regulate exchange strength and consequently spin-filter efficiency in tunnel junctions with ferromagnetic DyN and GdN tunnel barrier. In tunnel junctions with DyN barrier we obtained $\sim$37$\%$ spin polarization of tunneling electrons a…
The Ueda-Guinea model of a dissipative tunnel junction is investigated. This model accounts for final state effects associated with single-electron tunneling. A quantum phase transition emerges, marking a boundary between insulating (Coulomb blockade) and conducting phases. The system is analyzed by large-N techniques, self-consistent harmonic approximation, and Monte Carlo methods.
Thermally induced spin-dependent transport across magnetic tunnel junctions is theoretically investigated. We analyze the thermal analog of Slonczewski's model (as well as its limiting case---Julliere's model) of tunneling magnetoresistance and obtain analytical expressions for the junction thermopower and the tunneling magneto-thermopower (TMT). The analytical model is tested numerically for the special case of an Al$_2$O$_3$-based MTJ, for which we analyze the dependence of the thermopower and TMT on the relative magnetization orientations, as well as on the barrier height and thickness. We …
The influence of ballistic channels superimposed on tunneling conduction channels in magnetic tunnel junctions has been studied in a manganese oxide based tunneling device. Inversion of magnetoresistance has been observed in magnetic tunnel junctions with pinhole nanocontacts over a broad temperature range. The tunnel magnetoresistance undergoes a change of sign at higher bias and temperature. This phenomenon is attributed to the parallel conduction channels consisting of spin conserved ballistic transport through the pinhole contact where the transmission probability is close to unity and spi…
The paper investigates theoretically effects of noise on low-bias parts of $IV$ curves of tunnel junctions. The analysis starts from the effect of shot noise from an additional (noise) junction on the Coulomb blockaded Josephson junction in high-impedance environment. Asymmetry of shot noise characterized by its odd moments results in asymmetry of the $IV$ curve of the Josephson junction. At high currents through the noise junction the $IV$ curve is very sensitive to electron counting statistics. The theory is generalized on another type of noise (phase noise of a monochromatic AC input), on a…
Udalov and Beloborodov in the recent papers [Phys. Rev. B 95, 134106 (2017); Phys. Rev. B 96, 125425 (2017)] report the strong influence of image forces on the conductance of ferroelectric tunnel junctions. In particular, the authors state that there is enhancement of the electroresistance effect due to polarization hysteresis in symmetric tunnel junctions at nonzero bias. This conjecture seems to be a breakthrough --- the common knowledge is that the considerable effect, linear over voltage bias, takes place only in NONsymmetric junctions. We show that the influence of image forces on the con…
Typical measurements of nanowire devices rely on end-to-end measurements to reveal mesoscopic phenomena such as quantized conductance or Coulomb blockade. However, creating nanoscale tunnel junctions allows one to directly measure other properties such as the density of states or electronic energy distribution functions. In this paper, we demonstrate how to realize uniform tunnel junctions on InSb nanowires, where the low invasiveness preserves ballistic transport in the nanowires. The utility of the tunnel junctions is demonstrated via measurements using a superconducting tunneling probe, whi…
We report about the fabrication and analysis of the properties of Cr/CrO_x/Cr tunnel junctions and SET transistors, prepared by different variants of direct-writing multilayer technique. In all cases, the CrO_x tunnel barriers were formed in air under ambient conditions. From the experiments on single junctions, values for the effective barrier height and thickness were derived. For the Cr/CrO_x/Cr SET transistors we achieved minimal junction areas of 17 x 60 nm^2 using a scanning transmission electron microscope for the e-beam exposure on Si_3N_4 membrane substrate. We discuss the electrical …
Significant scientific and technological progress in the field of spintronics is based on trilayer magnetic tunnel junction devices which principally rely on the physics of single barrier tunneling. While technologically relevant devices have been prototyped, the physics of single barrier tunneling poses ultimate limitations on the performance of magnetic tunnel junction devices. Here, we propose a fresh route toward high performance magnetic tunnel junctions by making electronic analogs of optical phenomena such as anti-reflections and Fabry-Pèrot resonances. The devices we propose feature an…
We describe the concept and experimental demonstration of primary thermometry based on a four probe measurement of a single tunnel junction embedded within four arrays of junctions. We show that in this configuration random sample specific and environment-related errors can be avoided. This method relates temperature directly to Boltzmann constant, which will form the basis of the definition of temperature and realization of official temperature scales in the future.
We theoretically investigate the spin--wave spin current induced by the spin Seebeck effect in magnonic spin tunneling junctions (MSTJs) for arbitrary magnetization directions. We show that the MSTJ functions as a \textit{tunable} spin Seebeck diode in which the tunneling spin current can be turned on and off with high efficiency by controlling the magnetization direction.
We investigate the micromechanical exfoliation and van der Waals (vdW) assembly of ferromagnetic layered dichalcogenide Fe0.25TaS2. The vdW interlayer coupling at the Fe-intercalated plane of Fe0.25TaS2 allows exfoliation of flakes. A vdW junction between the cleaved crystal surfaces is constructed by dry transfer method. We observe tunnel magnetoresistance in the resulting junction under an external magnetic field applied perpendicular to the plane, demonstrating spin-polarized tunneling between the ferromagnetic layered material through the vdW junction.
We have investigated the mechanism at the origin of the infra-red radiation emitted by a biased tunnel junction by detecting photons at frequencies $ν<eV/h$. To address this regime, the bias voltage $V$ exceeds one volt and the potential profile of the tunnel barrier is driven far from its equilibrium state. As a consequence, the $I(V)$ characteristic of the junction is strongly nonlinear. At optical frequencies, the transport through the junction cannot be simply expressed in term of the dc current and the current fluctuations are no longer described by the fluctuation-dissipation relation. T…
Tunneling hetero-junctions (THJs) usually induce confined states at the regions close to the tunnel junction which significantly affect their transport properties. Accurate numerical modeling of such effects requires combining the non-equilibrium coherent quantum transport through tunnel junction, as well as the quasi-equilibrium statistics arising from the strong scattering in the induced quantum wells. In this work, a novel atomistic model is proposed to include both effects: the strong scattering in the regions around THJ and the coherent tunneling. The new model matches reasonably well wit…
We propose tunnel junctions of a Hall bar and a superconducting lead, for observing Cooper-pair tunneling into singlet fractional quantum Hall edge states. These tunnel junctions provide a natural means of extracting precise information of the spin polarization and the filling factor of the state. The low energy regime of one of the set-ups is governed by a novel quantum entangled fixed point.
This letter presents experiments on junctions fabricated by a new technique that enables the use of high quality aluminum oxide tunnel barriers with normal metal electrodes at low temperatures. Inverse proximity effect is applied to diminish the superconductivity of an aluminum dot through a clean lateral connection to a normal metal electrode. To demonstrate the effectiveness of this method, fully normal-state single electron transistors (SET) and normal metal-insulator-superconductor (NIS) junctions applying proximized Al junctions were fabricated. The transport characteristics of the juncti…
Temperature dependence of the tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) was calculated in range of the quantum-ballistic model in the magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with embedded nanoparticles (NPs). The electron tunnel transport through NP was simulated in range of double barrier approach, which was integrated into the model of the magnetic point-like contact. The resonant TMR conditions and temperature impact were explored in detail. Moreover, the possible reasons of the temperature induced resonant conditions were discussed in the range of the lead-tunneling cell-lead model near Kondo temperature. W…
Spin-coherent quantum transport in carbon nanotube magnetic tunnel junctions was investigated theoretically. A spin-valve effect is found for metallic, armchair tubes, with a magneto-conductance ratio ranging up to 20%. Because of the finite length of the nanotube junctions, transport is dominated by resonant transmission. The magnetic tunnel junctions are found to have distinctly different transport behavior depending on whether or not the length of the tubes is commensurate with a 3N+1 rule, with N the number of basic carbon repeat units along the nanotube length.
Organic molecules have recently revolutionized ways to create new spintronic devices. Despite intense studies, the statistics of tunneling electrons through organic barriers remains unclear. Here we investigate conductance and shot noise in magnetic tunnel junctions with PTCDA barriers a few nm thick. For junctions in the electron tunneling regime, with magnetoresistance ratios between 10 and 40\%, we observe superpoissonian shot noise. The Fano factor exceeds in 1.5-2 times the maximum values reported for magnetic tunnel junctions with inorganic barriers, indicating spin dependent bunching in…
We present electronic transport measurements through thiolated C$_{60}$ molecules in liquid environment. The molecules were placed within a mechanically controllable break junction using a single anchoring group per molecule. When varying the electrode separation of the C$_{60}$-modified junctions, we observed a peak in the conductance traces. The shape of the curves is strongly influenced by the environment of the junction as shown by measurements in two distinct solvents. In the framework of a simple resonant tunneling model, we can extract the electronic tunneling rates governing the transp…
We demonstrate a local strain sensing method for nanostructures based on metallic Al tunnel junctions with AlOx barriers. The junctions were fabricated on top of a thin silicon nitride membrane, which was actuated with an AFM tip attached to a stiff cantilever. A large relative change in the tunneling resistance in response to the applied strain (gauge factor) was observed, up to a value 37. This facilitates local static strain variation measurements down to ~10^{-7}.
In this contribution, we calculate the spin-dependent ballistic and coherent transport through epitaxial Fe/ZnSe (001) simple and double magnetic tunnel junctions with two different interface terminations: Zn-terminated and Se-terminated. The electronic structure of the junctions is modeled by a second-nearest neighbors {\it spd} tight-binding Hamiltonian parametrized to {\it ab initio} calculated band structures, while the conductances and the tunneling magnetoresistance are calculated within Landauer's formalism. The calculations are done at zero bias voltage and as a function of energy. We …
We derive an expression for the spin-current through a tunnel barrier in terms of many-body Green's functions. The spin current has two contributions. One can be associated with angular-momentum transfer by spin-polarized charge currents crossing the junction. If there are magnetic moments on both sides of the tunnel junction, due to spin accumulation or ferromagnetic ordering, then there is a second contribution related to the exchange coupling between the moments.
The Tunneling Anisotropic Magneto-Thermopower (TAMT) and the Tunneling Anisotropic Spin-Seebeck (TASS) effects are studied for a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) composed of a ferromagnetic electrode, a zinc-blende semiconductor and a normal metal. We develop a theoretical model for describing the dependence of a thermally induced tunneling current across the MTJ on the in-plane orientation of the magnetization in the ferromagnetic layer. The model accounts for the specific Bychkov-Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit interactions present in these systems, which are responsible for the $C_{2v}$ sym…
We study current fluctuations in tunnel junctions driven by a voltage source. The voltage is applied to the tunneling element via an impedance providing an electromagnetic environment of the junction. We use circuit theory to relate the fluctuations of the current flowing in the leads of the junction with the voltage fluctuations generated by the environmental impedance and the fluctuations of the tunneling current. The spectrum of current fluctuations is found to consist of three parts: a term arising from the environmental Johnson-Nyquist noise, a term due to the shot noise of the tunneling …
Using a simple quantum-mechanical model, we explore a tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance (TAMR) effect in ferroelectric tunnel junctions (FTJs) with a ferromagnetic electrode and a ferroelectric barrier layer, which spontaneous polarization gives rise to the Rashba and Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling (SOC). For realistic parameters of the model, we predict sizable TAMR measurable experimentally. For asymmetric FTJs, which electrodes have different work functions, the built-in electric field affects the SOC parameters and leads to TAMR dependent on ferroelectric polarization direction. The…
We have investigated electronic cooling of suspended nanowires with SINIS tunnel junction coolers. The suspended samples consist of a free standing nanowire suspended by four narrow ($\sim$ 200 nm) bridges. We have compared two different cooler designs for cooling the suspended nanowire. We demonstrate that cooling of the nanowire is possible with a proper SINIS cooler design.
We present a model of the thermopower in a mesoscopic tunnel junction between two ferromagnetic metals based upon magnon-assisted tunneling processes. In our model, the thermopower is generated in the course of thermal equilibration between two baths of magnons, mediated by electrons. We predict a particularly large thermopower effect in the case of a junction between two half-metallic ferromagnets with antiparallel polarizations, $S_{AP} \sim - (k_B/e)$, in contrast to $S_{P} \approx 0$ for a parallel configuration.
A theoretical technique which allows to include contributions from non-orthogonality of the electron states in the leads connected to a tunneling junction is derived. The theory is applied to a single barrier tunneling structure and a simple expression for the time-dependent tunneling current is derived showing explicit dependence of the overlap. The overlap proves to be necessary for a better quantitative description of the tunneling current, and our theory reproduces experimental results substantially better compared to standard approaches.
We present measurements of the time-dependent fluctuations in electrical current in a voltage-biased tunnel junction. We were able to simultaneously extract the first three moments of the tunnel current counting statistics. Detailed comparison of the second and the third moment reveals that counting statistics is accurately described by the Poissonian distribution expected for spontaneous current fluctuations due to electron charge discreteness, realized in tunneling transport at negligible coupling to environment.
We study a circuit where a mesoscopic Josephson junction (JJ) is embedded in an environment consisting of a large bias resistor and a normal metal - superconductor tunnel junction (NIS). The effective Coulomb blockade of the JJ can be controlled by the tunneling current through the NIS junction leading to transistor-like characteristics. We show using phase correlation theory and numerical simulations that substantial current gain with low current noise ($i_{n}\lesssim 1$ fA/$\sqrt{\text{Hz}}$) and noise temperature ($\lesssim $ 0.1 K) can be achieved. Good agreement between our numerical simu…
Using the closed-time path integral approach, we nonperturbatively study inelastic tunneling of electrons via magnetic impurities in the barrier accompanied by phonon emission in a magnetic tunnel junction. The spectrum density of phonon emission is found to show a power-law infrared singularity $\simω^{-(1-g)}$ with $g$ the dimensionless electron-phonon coupling. As a consequence, the tunneling conductance $G(V)$ increases with bias voltage $| V|$ as $G(V)-G(0)\sim| V|^{2g}$, exhibiting a discontinuity in slope at V=0 for $g\le 0.5$. This theory can reproduce both cusp-like and non-cusp-like …
We have applied the Numerical Renormalization Group method to study a mesoscopic system consisting of two samples of metal separated by an insulating barrier, with nanometer dimensions, which allows the tunnelling of a single electron from one to the other side of the junction. The junction is represented by a generalized orthodox model, taking into account the electronic scattering interaction due the hole and the tunnelling electrons, localized in the source and in the drain electrode, respectively. We have calculated the static properties (charge transference, charge average, quadractic cha…
In this work we discuss the combined effects of finite-range electron-electron interaction and finite-range tunneling on the transport properties of ultrasmall tunnel junctions. We show that the Coulomb blockade phenomenon is deeply influenced by the interplay between the geometry and the screening properties of the contacts. In particular if the interaction range is smaller than the size of the tunneling region a "weakly correlated" regime emerges in which the Coulomb blockade gap $\D$ is significantly reduced. In this regime $\D$ is not simply given by the conventional charging energy of the…
High quality Au/hBN/Au tunnel devices are fabricated using transferred atomically thin hexagonal boron nitride as the tunneling barrier. All tunnel junctions show tunneling resistance on the order of several k$Ω$/$μ$m$^{2}$. Ohmic I-V curves at small bias with no signs of resonances indicate the sparsity of defects. Tunneling current shot noise is measured in these devices, and the excess shot noise shows consistency with theoretical expectations. These results show that atomically thin hBN is an excellent tunnel barrier, especially for the study of shot noise properties, and this can enable t…
We theoretically investigate the Tunneling Anisotropic Magneto-Seebeck effect in a realistically-modeled CoPt|MgO|Pt tunnel junction using coherent transport calculations. For comparison we study the tunneling magneto-Seebeck effect in CoPt|MgO|CoPt as well. We find that the magneto-Seebeck ratio of CoPt|MgO|Pt exceeds that of CoPt|MgO|CoPt for small barrier thicknesses, reaching 175% at room temperature. This result provides a sharp contrast to the magnetoresistance, which behaves oppositely for all barrier thicknesses and differs by one order of magnitude between devices. Here the magnetores…
The transmission of charge through an ultrasmall double junction is considered with Coulomb effects but at zero temperature. We construct an equation which describes the time development of the transmission probability of charges and solve this equation in terms of a recursion relation. The results are compared with the double junction without charging effects.
Magnetic tunnel junctions are nanoscale spintronic devices with microwave generation and detection capabilities. Here we use the rectification effect called "spin-diode" in a magnetic tunnel junction to wirelessly detect the microwave emission of another junction in the auto-oscillatory regime. We show that the rectified spin-diode voltage measured at the receiving junction end can be reconstructed from the independently measured auto-oscillation and spin diode spectra in each junction. Finally we adapt the auto-oscillator model to the case of spin-torque oscillator and spin-torque diode and w…
We report measurements of the Coulomb-blockade current in resistively isolated (R_{Isol} >> h/e^{2}) tunnel junctions for the temperature range 60mK $We report measurements of the Coulomb-blockade current in resistively isolated ($R_{Isol}\gg h/e^{2})$ tunnel junctions for the temperature range 60mK < T < 230mK where the charging energy E_{c} is much greater than the thermal energy. A zero-bias resistance R_{0} of up to 10^{4}R_{T} (the tunnel resistance of the bare junction) is obtained. For eV << E_{c}, the I-V curves for a given R_{Isol} scale as a function of V/T, with I \propto V^{α(R_{Is…
We have investigated the quantum admittance of an ultrasmall tunnel junction with arbitrary tunneling strength under an electromagnetic environment. Using the functional integral approach a close analytical expression of the quantum admittance is derived for a general electromagnetic environment. We then consider a specific controllable environment where a resistance is connected in series with the tunneling junction, for which we derived the dc quantum conductance from the zero frequency limit of the imaginary part of the quantum admittance. For such electromagnetic environment the dc conduct…
Designing tunneling junctions with abrupt on-off characteristics and high current densities is critical for many different devices including backward diodes and tunneling field effect transistors (TFETs). It is possible to get a sharp, high conductance on/off transition by exploiting the sharp step in the density of states at band edges. The nature of the density of states, is strongly dependent on quantum dimensionality. To know the current/voltage curve requires us to specify both the n-side dimensionality and the p-side dimensionality of pn junctions. We find that a typical bulk 3d-3d tunne…
In this contribution, we calculate in a self-consistent way the ballistic transmission as a function of energy of one Fe/MgO (001) single-barrier and one double-barrier tunnel junction, relating them to their electronic structure. The transmission spectra of each kind of junction is calculated at different applied bias voltages. We focus on the impact that bias has on the resonant tunneling mediated by surface and quantum well states. The calculations are done in the coherent regime, using a combination of density functional theory and non-equilibrium Green's functions, as implemented in the {…
We propose a model that describes current-in-plane tunneling transport in double barrier magnetic tunnel junctions in diffusive regime. Our study shows that specific features appear in double junctions that are described by introducing two typical length scales. The model may be used to measure the magnetoresistance and the resistance area product of both barriers in unpatterned stacks of double barrier magnetic tunnel junctions.
We investigate a wafer scale tunnel junction fabrication method, where a plasma etched via through a dielectric layer covering bottom Al electrode defines the tunnel junction area. The ex-situ tunnel barrier is formed by oxidation of the bottom electrode in the junction area. Room temperature resistance mapping over a 150 mm wafer give local deviation values of the tunnel junction resistance that fall below 7.5 % with an average of 1.3 %. The deviation is further investigated by sub-1 K measurements of a device, which has one tunnel junction connected to four arrays consisting of N junctions (…
We theoretically study the spin-dependent transport in a ferromagnet/superconductor/ferro-magnet double barrier tunnel junction. The spin-polarized tunneling currents give rise to spin imbalance in the superconductor. The resulting nonequilibrium spin density suppresses the superconductivity with increase of the tunneling currents. We focus on the effect of asymmetry in the double tunnel junction, where the barrier height of the tunnel junction and the spin-polarization of the ferromagnets are different, on spin injection, and discuss how the superconductivity is suppressed in the asymmetric j…
We consider a transmission line resonator which is driven by electrons tunneling through a voltage-biased tunnel junction. Using the Born-Markovian quantum master equation in the polaron basis we investigate the nonequilibrium photon state and emission spectrum of the resonator as well as properties of the transport current across the tunnel junction and its noise spectrum. The electroluminescence is optimized, with maximum peak height and narrow linewidth, when the back-action of the tunnel junction on the resonator and the decay rate of the resonator are similar in strength. For strong coupl…
We present the results of a series of Quantum Monte Carlo calculations of the temperature dependent conductance of dissipative non-superconducting tunnel junctions. Finite size scaling methods are used to demonstrate the absence of coherent transport in Ohmic tunnel junctions. However, a quantum phase transition between coherent and incoherent behavior is found in sub-Ohmic tunnel junctions. The critical conductance is found to be temperature independent and the critical exponents, $ν$ and $η$, are found to be in agreement with renormalization group results by Kosterlitz.
