Spin-polarized tunneling in hybrid metal-semiconductor magnetic tunnel junctions

Abstract

We demonstrate efficient spin-polarized tunneling between a ferromagnetic metal and a ferromagnetic semiconductor with highly mismatched conductivities. This is indicated by a large tunneling magnetoresistance (up to 30%) at low temperatures in epitaxial magnetic tunnel junctions composed of a ferromagnetic metal (MnAs) and a ferromagnetic semiconductor $({\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Mn}}_{x}\mathrm{As})$ separated by a nonmagnetic semiconductor (AlAs). Analysis of the current-voltage characteristics yields detailed information about the asymmetric tunnel barrier. The low temperature conductance-voltage characteristics show a zero bias anomaly and a $\sqrt{V}$ dependence of the conductance, suggesting a correlation gap in the density of states of ${\mathrm{Ga}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Mn}}_{x}\mathrm{As}.$ These experiments suggest that MnAs/AlAs heterostructures offer well characterized tunnel junctions for high efficiency spin injection into GaAs.