Experimental evidence of interface resonance states in single-crystal magnetic tunnel junctions

Abstract

All solid-state tunnel spectroscopy experiments performed on single-crystal Fe/MgO/Fe magnetic tunnel junctions show sharp features at 0.2 and 1.1 V. These peaks are observed on the electrical differential conductivity only in the antiparallel magnetic configuration and only for the voltage sign corresponding to the injection of electrons toward the bottom electrode. They are attributed to the conductivity of two different resonant states of the Fe(001)/MgO bottom interface. The analysis of the attenuation of these peaks as a function of the insulator thickness provides information on their symmetry.