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Indication of Complete Spin Filtering in Atomic-Scale Nickel Oxide
Ran Vardimon1, Marina Klionsky1, Oren Tal1
1Department of Chemical Physics, Weizmann Institute of Science, Rehovot 76100 Israel.
Nano Letters
|May 7, 2015
Summary
Highly spin-polarized currents up to 100% were observed in nickel oxide atomic junctions. Local chemical modifications significantly enhance spin filtering for spintronic applications.
Area of Science:
- Condensed matter physics
- Materials science
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Generating highly spin-polarized currents is crucial for advancing spintronic devices.
- Atomic-scale junctions offer unique platforms for fundamental studies of electron transport.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the spin polarization of currents in nickel oxide atomic junctions.
- To explore methods for enhancing spin filtering at the nanoscale.
Main Methods:
- Fabrication of nickel oxide atomic junctions between nickel electrodes.
- Analysis of shot noise to quantify spin polarization.
- Local chemical modifications at the single-atom level.
Main Results:
- Evidence for up to 100% spin-polarized currents across the junctions.
- Demonstration of enhanced spin filtering through targeted chemical modifications.
- Probing spin polarization via shot noise analysis of electron transport.
Conclusions:
- Nickel oxide atomic junctions can support highly spin-polarized currents.
- Single-atom chemical modifications are effective for enhancing spin filtering.
- This work enables precise control of spin transport at the nanoscale for spintronics.
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