Spin Injection: Interface Resistance in Fe/Semiconductor Junctions Calculated from First Principles

Wunnicke, Olaf; Mavropoulos, Phivos; Dederichs, Peter H.

Spin Injection: Interface Resistance in Fe/Semiconductor Junctions Calculated from First Principles

Authors

Wunnicke, Olaf

Mavropoulos, Phivos

Dederichs, Peter H.

Description

We calculate the current spin polarisation and the interface resistance of Fe/GaAs and Fe/ZnSe (001) spin injection junctions from first principles, including also the possibility of a Schottky barrier. From our results of interface resistance we estimate the barrier thickness needed for efficient spin injection if the process is non-ballistic.
2 figures; submitted to Journal of Superconductivity: Incorporating Novel Magnetism