Large Tunneling Magnetoresistance in VSe₂/MoS₂ Magnetic Tunnel Junction

TLDR

Two‑dimensional van der Waals materials enable the creation of heterostructures with highly desirable properties. The authors investigate a VSe₂/MoS₂ magnetic tunnel junction, proposing a spin–orbit torque device that offers reliable reading and efficient writing by exploiting the room‑temperature ferromagnetism of VSe₂. They model the VSe₂/MoS₂ heterojunction theoretically, treating VSe₂ as a ferromagnetic layer and MoS₂ as a spin Hall conductor to analyze spin–orbit torque and tunneling transport. The study predicts an 846 % tunneling magnetoresistance at 300 K, strong spin Hall conductivity of MoS₂ enabling efficient spin–orbit torque switching, quantum‑well resonances permitting voltage‑controlled transport, and overall promising performance and experimental feasibility for 2D spintronics.

Abstract

Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) materials provide the possibility of realizing heterostructures with coveted properties. Here, we report a theoretical investigation of the vdW magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) based on VSe2/MoS2 heterojunction, where the VSe2 monolayer acts as a ferromagnet with room-temperature ferromagnetism. We propose the concept of spin–orbit torque (SOT) vdW MTJ with reliable reading and efficient writing operations. The nonequilibrium study reveals a large tunneling magnetoresistance of 846% at 300 K, identifying significantly its parallel and antiparallel states. Thanks to the strong spin Hall conductivity of MoS2, SOT is promising for the magnetization switching of VSe2 free layer. Quantum-well states come into being and resonances appear in MTJ, suggesting that the voltage control can adjust transport properties effectively. The SOT vdW MTJ based on VSe2/MoS2 provides desirable performance and experimental feasibility, offering new opportunities for 2D spintronics.