Voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy in Fe|MgO tunnel junctions studied by x-ray absorption spectroscopy

In this study, voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) in Fe|MgO tunnel junctions was investigated via the magneto-optical Kerr effect, soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy, and magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy. The Fe|MgO tunnel junctions showed enhanced perpendicular magnetic anisotrop...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied physics letters 2015-10, Vol.107 (16)
Main Authors: Miwa, Shinji, Matsuda, Kensho, Tanaka, Kazuhito, Kotani, Yoshinori, Goto, Minori, Nakamura, Tetsuya, Suzuki, Yoshishige
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Absorption spectra
ABSORPTION SPECTROSCOPY
ANISOTROPY
Applied physics
Chemical reactions
CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSICS
Dichroism
ELECTRIC FIELDS
ELECTRIC POTENTIAL
Electrical junctions
INTERFACES
KERR EFFECT
Kerr magnetooptical effect
Magnesium oxide
MAGNESIUM OXIDES
Magnetic anisotropy
MAGNETIC CIRCULAR DICHROISM
Migration
Organic chemistry
Polarity
REDOX REACTIONS
SOFT X RADIATION
Soft x rays
Spectrum analysis
SURFACES
TUNNEL EFFECT
Tunnel junctions
X ray absorption
X-RAY SPECTRA
X-RAY SPECTROSCOPY
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Summary:In this study, voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) in Fe|MgO tunnel junctions was investigated via the magneto-optical Kerr effect, soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy, and magnetic circular dichroism spectroscopy. The Fe|MgO tunnel junctions showed enhanced perpendicular magnetic anisotropy under external negative voltage, which induced charge depletion at the Fe|MgO interface. Despite the application of voltages of opposite polarity, no trace of chemical reaction such as a redox reaction attributed to O2− migration was detected in the x-ray absorption spectra of the Fe. The VCMA reported in the Fe|MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions must therefore originate from phenomena associated with the purely electric effect, that is, surface electron doping and/or redistribution induced by an external electric field.
ISSN:0003-6951
1077-3118
DOI:10.1063/1.4934568