Interface-dependent spin-reorientation energy barrier in Fe/MgO(001) thin film

Heechae Choi*, Eung Kwan Lee, Sung Beom Cho, Dong Su Yoo, Yong Chae Chung

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

7 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Using the density-functional-theory-based atomic modeling, the stable interface structure and the resultant magnetocrystalline anisotropy (MCA) of the Fe/MgO(001) for magnetic random access memory have been studied. The most stable surface structure of Fe/MgO(001) thin-film system was found to be either defect free or possessing oxygen vacancies in a c(2 ×1) periodicity. The formation of the oxygen vacancies in c(2×1) periodicity on MgO(001) surface reduced the MCA of Fe layer from 1.38 to 0.31 meV/atom. The reduced MCA is originated from the filling of the minority states of the Fe orbital below Fermi level.

Original languageEnglish
Article number5960764
Pages (from-to)1287-1289
Number of pages3
JournalIEEE Electron Device Letters
Volume32
Issue number9
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - Sept 2011
Externally publishedYes

Keywords

  • Density functional theory
  • Fe/MgO(001)
  • interface structure
  • perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

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