Symmetry-dependent electron-electron interaction in coherent tunnel junctions resolved by measurements of zero-bias anomaly

Liu, Liang; Niu, Jiasen; Xiang, Li; Wei, Jian; Li, D. -L.; Feng, J. -F.; Han, X. -F.; Zhang, X. -G.; Coey, J. M.  D.

doi:10.1103/PhysRevB.90.195132

Title: Symmetry-dependent electron-electron interaction in coherent tunnel junctions resolved by measurements of zero-bias anomaly

Journal Article · Tue Nov 18 00:00:00 EST 2014 · Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.90.195132· OSTI ID:1185565

Liu, Liang ^[1]; Niu, Jiasen ^[1]; Xiang, Li ^[1]; Wei, Jian ^[1]; Li, D. -L. ^[2]; Feng, J. -F. ^[2]; Han, X. -F. ^[2]; Zhang, X. -G. ^[3]; Coey, J. M. D. ^[4]

Peking Univ., Beijing (China). School of Physics; China and Collaborative Innovation Center of Quantum Matter, Beijing (China)
Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS), Beijing (China). Inst. of Physics. Beijing National Lab. for Condensed Matter Physics (BNLCP-CAS)
Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Science (CNMS)
Trinity College, Dublin (Ireland). CRANN and School of Physics

We provide experimental evidence that zero bias anomaly in the differential resistance of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) is due to electron-electron interaction (EEI). Magnon effect is excluded by measuring at low temperatures down to 0.2 K and with reduced AC measurement voltages down to 0.06 mV. The normalized change of conductance is proportional to ln (eV /k_B T ), consistent with the Altshuler-Aronov theory of tunneling with EEI but inconsistent with magnetic impurity scattering. The slope of the ln (eV /k_BT ) dependence is symmetry dependent, i.e., MTJs with symmetry filtering show di erent slopes for P and AP states, while those without symmetry filtering (amorphous barriers) have nearly the same slopes for P and AP.

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Research Organization:: Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States). Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences (CNMS)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES); National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC); National Basic Research Program of China

Grant/Contract Number:: AC05-00OR22725; 2011CBA00106; 2012CB927400; 2010CB934401; 2014AA032904; 11434014

OSTI ID:: 1185565

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1180379

Journal Information:: Physical Review. B, Condensed Matter and Materials Physics, Vol. 90, Issue 19; ISSN 1098-0121

Publisher:: American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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Cited by: 5 works

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