Impact of a ferromagnetic insulating barrier in magnetic tunnel junctions

Abstract

We investigate spin-dependent conductance across a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) including a ferromagnetic insulating barrier. The MTJ consists of two half-metallic ferromagnetic La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 (LSMO) manganites as electrodes and La2NiMnO6 (LNMO) double perovskite as a ferromagnetic insulating barrier. The resistance of the junction is strongly dependent not only on the orientation of the magnetic moments in LSMO electrodes, but also on the direction of the magnetization of the LNMO barrier with respect to that of LSMO. The ratio of tunnel magnetoresistance reaches a maximum value of 24% at 10 K, and it decreases with temperature until it completely disappears above the critical temperature of LNMO at 280 K. The tunneling process is described using a mechanism which involves both empty and filled eg states of the LNMO barrier acting as a spin-filter. A magnetic insulating barrier is an interesting path for achieving room temperature magnetoresistance in oxide-based heterostructures.