Interface defect state induced spin injection in organic magnetic tunnel junctions

This article analytically explores defect assisted spin injection in organic magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) [x/rubrene/Co, x = La2O3, LaMnO3, La0.7Ca0.3MnO3 (LCMO), La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO)] employing nonequilibrium Green’s function (NEGF). Spin precession at ferromagnet (FM)/organic semiconductor (OSC) interface defect states have been considered while modeling the MTJ devices. Variations in voltage dependent parallel (RP) and antiparallel (RAP) resistances have been attributed to modified spin dependent scattering at modified spin resolved density of states of magnetic electrodes. Moreover, change in distribution of defect state depths at a spin injection interface has also been observed to modify RP/RAP, and hence, tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) across the devices. Localization of defect state distribution due to a high spin split band may have resulted in large TMR for La2O3 devices. Nonlinear spin transfer torque (STT) in devices other than LSMO indicates compensation of spin damping, resulting in a high TMR response across the devices. Hence, the localization of defect state distribution and the choice of magnetic electrodes with high spin split bands may be exercised to realize spintronic devices for low power spin memory applications.