Hot electron transport in 3-terminal devices based on magnetic tunnel junctions

Abstract

Summary form only given. Magnetic field-dependent electrical characteristics of magnetic tunnel junction-based 3-terminal devices have been measured on M/sub 1//I/sub 1//M/sub 2//I/sub 2//M/sub 3/ stacks where M are ferromagnetic electrodes and I are insulating barriers (Al/sub 2/O/sub 3/ or TaO). A spin polarised current is pumped from the voltage biased M/sub 1//I/sub 1//M/sub 2/ junction and injected in the I/sub 2//M/sub 3/ collector junction. The collected current in M/sub 3/ is then dependent on the voltages applied to each tunnel junction, the orientation of the electrode magnetisations and the thickness of the M/sub 2/ electrode. Besides the fundamental interest in measuring the properties of nonequilibrium spin-dependent hot electron transport, 3-terminal devices appear to be good candidates for a new generation of magnetic field-dependent devices. The control of hot electron transmission in a double tunnel junction is the keystone to ensure asymmetric diodes or hot electron magnetic field-dependent transistors. Experimental results have been compared to computations made in the framework of the parabolic band model.