Tranport Tunnel Polarisé en Spin à l'Etat Solide
Experimental insights into Spin-Polarized Solid State Tunneling
Résumé
This experimental Thesis investigates spin-polarized solid state tunneling between two ferromagnetic layers separated by an ultrathin insulating barrier, with an aim to bridge the gap between theory, which is based on ideal systems, and experiments dominated by junctions with amorphous barriers. The nearly total tunneling spin polarization of La0:7Sr0:3MnO3, when integrated into partially or fully epitaxial magnetic tunnel junctions, offers insight into the relationship between an insulating material's electronic structure and tunneling magnetotransport. In addition to transport experiments through epitaxial SrTiO3, Ce0:69La0:31O1:845, TiO2, MgO, and amorphous Al2O3, barriers, we have performed XMCD experiments on Al2O3 and MgO barriers to probe the theoretical underpinnings of our transport results. The half-metallic nature of La0:7Sr0:3MnO3 is then utilized inLa0:7Sr0:3MnO3/SrTiO3/La0:7Sr0:3MnO3 and La0:7Sr0:3MnO3/SrTiO3/Co junctions to quantitatively confirm the spectroscopic nature of spin-dependent solid state tunneling between ferromagnetic electrodes. These bias-dependent studies underscore the influence of interfacial spin wave generation on the ferromagnetic order of the manganate/insulator interface near its Curie point. Finally, we utilize electromigration to modify both the density of states and the potential profile of the interfaces. We show how harnessing this effect may lead to a device with bistable magnetotransport properties; and we examine within the Fowler-Nordheim tunneling regime the incidence of such junction modifications on the formation of quantized energy states within the barrier, and the perturbation of interlayer exchange coupling between the ferromagnetic electrodes.
Cette These experimentale examine le transport par effet tunnel entre deux couches ferromagnetiques separees par une barriere isolante ultrafine. L'enjeu de ces travaux est de rapprocher la comprehension theorique, basee sur des systemes ideaux, de la realite experimentale domin´ee par des jonctions comprenant une barriere amorphe. Au moyen de jonctions partiellement ou entierement epitaxiees integrant le materiau La0:7Sr0:3MnO3 dont nous avons confirme la polarisation de spin tunnel quasi-totale, l'influence de la structure electronique de materiaux isolants tels que SrTiO3, Ce0:69La0:31O1:845, TiO2, MgO (epitaxies) et Al2O3 (amorphe) sur le magnetotransport tunnel est mise en evidence. La theorie soutendant ces resultats est testee au moyen de mesures XMCD effectuees sur des barrieres de Al2O3 et MgO. La demi-metallicite de La0:7Sr0:3MnO3 est ensuite utilisee dans des jonctions La0:7Sr0:3MnO3 /SrTiO3 /La0:7Sr0:3MnO3 et La0:7Sr0:3MnO3 /SrTiO3 /Co afin d'affirmer quantitativement le caractere spectroscopique du transport tunnel polarise en spin entre electrodes ferromagnetiques. Ces etudes en tension montrent l'influence de la generation d'ondes de spin lors du transport tunnel sur l'ordre ferromagnetique de l'interface manganate/ isolant proche de sa temperature de transition metal-isolant. Enfin, nous utilisons l'electromigration aux interfaces afin de modifier la densite d'etats et le profil de potentiel des interfaces. Nous montrons comment il est possible de r´ealiser un dispositif aux proprietes de magnetotransport bistables; et nous examinons dans le regime tunnel Fowler-Nordheim les repercussions de ces modifications sur la formation d'etats quantifies au sein de la barriere, et l'evolution du couplage d'echange indirect entre les electrodes ferromagnetiques.