Asymmetric I-V characteristics and magnetoresistance in magnetic point contacts

Abstract

We present a theoretical study of the transport properties of magnetic point contacts under bias. Our calculations are based on the Keldish's non-equilibrium Green's function formalism combined with a self-consistent empirical tight-binding Hamiltonian, which describes both strong ferromagnetism and charging effects. We demonstrate that large magnetoresistance solely due to electronic effects can be found when a sharp domain wall forms inside a magnetic atomic-scale point contact. Moreover we show that the symmetry of the $I$-$V$ characteristic depends on the position of the domain wall in the constriction. In particular diode-like curves can arise when the domain wall is placed off-center within the point contact, although the whole structure does not present any structural asymmetry.

arXiv comment7 figures, submitted to PRB

References in corpus (8)

• Density functional method for nonequilibrium electron transport
• Geometrically constrained magnetic wall
• General Green's function formalism for transport calculations with spd-Hamiltonians and giant magnetoresistance in Co and Ni based magnetic multilayers
• Gauge invariant nonlinear electric transport in mesoscopic conductors
• Conductance Quantization and Magnetoresistance in Magnetic Point Contacts
• Ballistic electron transport through magnetic domain walls
• Effect of a Domain Wall on the Conductance Quantization in a Ferromagnetic Nanowire
• Crossover between ballistic and diffusive regime of the spin-conductance and CPP-GMR in magnetic multilayered nanostructures

Cited by in corpus (27)

• Self-interaction errors in density functional calculations of electronic transport
• Density functional calculations of nanoscale conductance
• Effects of self-interaction corrections on the transport properties of phenyl-based molecular junctions
• Magnetic and orbital blocking in Ni nanocontacts
• Resonant electronic states and I-V curves of Fe/MgO/Fe(100) tunnel junctions
• Spin Transfer Torque in Antiferromagnetic Spin-Valves: From Clean to Disordered Regimes
• First-principles spin-transfer torque in CuMnAs$|$GaP$|$CuMnAs junctions
• Critical comparison of electrode models in density functional theory based quantum transport calculations
• Theoretical study of the conductance of ferromagnetic atomic-sized contacts
• Single channel conductance of H${}_2$ molecules attached to platinum or palladium electrodes
• The nature of the electrical conduction in ferromagnetic atomic-size contacts: insights from shot noise measurements and theoretical simulations
• Theoretical Study of Spin-dependent Electron Transport in Atomic Fe Nanocontacts
• Simulating STM transport in alkanes from first principles
• Current-driven magnetic rearrangements in spin-polarized point contacts
• Negative differential resistance in nanoscale transport in the Coulomb blockade
• General Green's function formalism for layered systems: Wave function approach
• Gate-versus defect-induced voltage drop and negative differential resistance in vertical graphene heterostructures
• Multi-space excitation as an alternative to the Landauer picture for non-equilibrium quantum transport
• Spin transfer torque in Mn${}_3$Ga-based ferrimagnetic tunnel junctions from first principles
• Electron transport across electrically switchable magnetic molecules
• Efficient simulations with electronic open boundaries
• Constrained-search density functional study of quantum transport in two-dimensional vertical heterostructures
• Electronic transport calculations for rough interfaces in Al, Cu, Ag, and Au
• Efficient electron open boundaries for simulating electrochemical cells
• Magneto-mechanical interplay in spin-polarized point contacts
• The influence of a single defect in composite gate insulators on the performance of nanotube transistors
• A minimalistic diode