Using structural disorder to enhance the magnetism and spin-polarization in FexSi1-x thin films for spintronics

J Karel; Y. N. Zhang; C. Bordel; K. H. Stone; T Y Chen; C A Jenkins; David J Smith; J. Hu; R. Q. Wu; S M  Heald; J. B. Kortright; F. Hellman

doi:10.1088/2053-1591/1/2/026102

Using structural disorder to enhance the magnetism and spin-polarization in Fe_xSi_1-x thin films for spintronics

J Karel, Y. N. Zhang, C. Bordel, K. H. Stone, T Y Chen, C A Jenkins, David J Smith, J. Hu, R. Q. Wu, S M Heald, J. B. Kortright, F. Hellman

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review

11 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Amorphous Fe_xSi_1-x thin films exhibit a striking enhancement in magnetization compared to crystalline films with the same composition (0.45 < x < 0.75), and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism reveals an enhancement in both spin and orbital moments in the amorphous films. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reproduce this enhanced magnetization and also show a relatively large spinpolarization at the Fermi energy, also seen experimentally in Andreev reflection. Theory and experiment show that the amorphous materials have a decreased number of nearest neighbors and reduced number density relative to the crystalline samples of the same composition; the associated decrease in Fe-Si neighbors reduces the hybridization of Fe orbitals, leading to the enhanced moment.

Original language	English
Article number	026102
Number of pages	9
Journal	Materials Research Express
Volume	1
Issue number	2
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1088/2053-1591/1/2/026102
Publication status	Published - 1 Jun 2014
Externally published	Yes

Keywords

Amorphous
Thin film magnetism
Spintronics
X-ray absorption
X-ray magnetic circular dichroism
Density functional theory

Access to Document

10.1088/2053-1591/1/2/026102

25025402-oaFinal published version, 436 KB

Cite this

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title = "Using structural disorder to enhance the magnetism and spin-polarization in FexSi1-x thin films for spintronics",

abstract = "Amorphous FexSi1-x thin films exhibit a striking enhancement in magnetization compared to crystalline films with the same composition (0.45 < x < 0.75), and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism reveals an enhancement in both spin and orbital moments in the amorphous films. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reproduce this enhanced magnetization and also show a relatively large spinpolarization at the Fermi energy, also seen experimentally in Andreev reflection. Theory and experiment show that the amorphous materials have a decreased number of nearest neighbors and reduced number density relative to the crystalline samples of the same composition; the associated decrease in Fe-Si neighbors reduces the hybridization of Fe orbitals, leading to the enhanced moment.",

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AU - Karel, J

AU - Zhang, Y. N.

AU - Bordel, C.

AU - Stone, K. H.

AU - Chen, T Y

AU - Jenkins, C A

AU - Smith, David J

AU - Hu, J.

AU - Wu, R. Q.

AU - Heald, S M

AU - Kortright, J. B.

AU - Hellman, F.

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AB - Amorphous FexSi1-x thin films exhibit a striking enhancement in magnetization compared to crystalline films with the same composition (0.45 < x < 0.75), and x-ray magnetic circular dichroism reveals an enhancement in both spin and orbital moments in the amorphous films. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations reproduce this enhanced magnetization and also show a relatively large spinpolarization at the Fermi energy, also seen experimentally in Andreev reflection. Theory and experiment show that the amorphous materials have a decreased number of nearest neighbors and reduced number density relative to the crystalline samples of the same composition; the associated decrease in Fe-Si neighbors reduces the hybridization of Fe orbitals, leading to the enhanced moment.

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KW - Thin film magnetism

KW - Spintronics

KW - X-ray absorption

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