Abstract
Spin-valves had empowered the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) devices to have memory. The insertion of thin antiferromagnetic (AFM) films allowed two stable magnetic field-induced switchable resistance states persisting in remanence. In this letter, we show that, without the deliberate introduction of such an AFM layer, this functionality is transferred to multiferroic tunnel junctions (MFTJ) allowing us to create a four-state resistive memory device. We observed that the ferroelectric/ferromagnetic interface plays a crucial role in the stabilization of the exchange bias, which ultimately leads to four robust electro tunnel electro resistance (TER) and tunnel magneto resistance (TMR) states in the junction.
Highlights
Spin-valves had empowered the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) devices to have memory
We show that, without the deliberate introduction of such an AFM layer, this functionality is transferred to multiferroic tunnel junctions (MFTJ) allowing us to create a four-state resistive memory device
We observed that the ferroelectric/ ferromagnetic interface plays a crucial role in the stabilization of the exchange bias, which leads to four robust electro tunnel electro resistance (TER) and tunnel magneto resistance (TMR) states in the junction
Summary
To realize multiferroic heterostructures containing magnetic LSMO, ferroelectric PTO and PZT and the antiferroelectric PZO, we used reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED)-controlled pulsed laser deposition (PLD). All tunnel barriers of the discussed junctions are in the same thickness region of about 8 unit cells or 3.2 nm This was ensured by the RHEED oscillation observation for the ferroelectric thin films (see Supplementary Information). Applying a high angle annular dark field detector (HAADF) in the STEM mode, elastic, thermal diffuse scattering (TDS) events can be recorded. The intensity of these localized, incoherent scatter processes is proportional to Z2, and the position of atom columns or individual atoms is imaged with a brightness related to their atomic number Z. Proper electron tunneling was confirmed with fits using the Brinkman model[30]
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