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Phys. Rev. Lett. 97, 087210 (2006) [4 pages]

First-Principles Theory of Quantum Well Resonance in Double Barrier Magnetic Tunnel Junctions

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Yan Wang1, Zhong-Yi Lu2, X.-G. Zhang3,*,†, and X. F. Han1,*,‡
1State Key Laboratory of Magnetism, Beijing National Laboratory for Condensed Matter Physics, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China
2Institute of Theoretical Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Beijing 100080, China
3Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences and Computer Science and Mathematics Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, Tennessee 37831-6164, USA

Received 13 June 2006; published 25 August 2006

Quantum well (QW) resonances in Fe(001)/MgO/Fe/MgO/Fe double barrier magnetic tunnel junctions are calculated from first principles. By including the Coulomb blockade energy due to the finite size islands of the middle Fe film, we confirm that the oscillatory differential resistance observed in a recent experiment [ T. Nozaki et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 96 027208 (2006)] originates from the QW resonances from the Δ1 band of the Fe majority-spin channel. The primary source of smearing at low temperatures is shown to be the variation of the Coulomb blockade energy.

© 2006 The American Physical Society

URL:
http://link.aps.org/doi/10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.087210
DOI:
10.1103/PhysRevLett.97.087210
PACS:
85.75.Mm, 72.25.Ba, 73.21.Fg, 73.23.Hk

*Corresponding author.

†Electronic address: xgz@ornl.gov

‡Electronic address: xfhan@aphy.iphy.ac.cn

 
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