Large positive spin polarization and giant inverse tunneling magnetoresistance in Fe/PbTiO3/Fe multiferroic tunnel junction

Abstract

We perform first-principles electronic structure and spin-dependent transport calculations of a multiferroic tunnel junction (MFTJ) with an epitaxial Fe/PbTiO3/Fe heterostructure. We predict a large positive spin-polarization (SP) and an intriguing giant inverse tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) ratio in this tunnel junction. We demonstrate that the tunneling properties are determined by ferroelectric (FE) polarization screening and electronic reconstruction at the interface with lower electrostatic potential. The intricate complex band structure of PbTiO3, in particular the lowest decay rates concerning Pb 6pz and Ti 3dz2 states near the Γ¯ point, gives rise to the large positive SP of the tunneling current in the parallel magnetic configuration. However, the giant inverse TMR ratio is attributed to the minority-spin electrons of the interfacial Ti 3dxz+3dyz orbitals which have considerably weight in the extended area around the Γ¯ point at the Fermi energy and causes remarkable contributions to the conductance in the antiparallel magnetic configuration.