Point contact Andreev reflection spectroscopy for measuring spin polarization

The Co-Pt systems have been extensively studied because of their potential applications in spintronic devices. We have experimentally measured transport spin polarization (PC) using Point Contact Andreev Reflection (PCAR) spectroscopy and magnetic properties of Co1-xPt x alloys. All films with x varying from 0 to 100% and a thickness of ∼1000 A were grown on Si substrates covered with ∼250 A of SiO 2 by magnetron sputtering (Ref. [1]). We have also performed band-structure calculations of the spin polarization in the same Co-Pt system. We have demonstrated that the experimental and theoretical results are in reasonably good agreement. We have compared the PCAR results with the tunneling spin polarization (TSP) values recently reported by Kaiser et al. (Ref. [1]) and showed that the overall trend of PCAR spin polarization is almost the same as for TSP with Al 2O3 barrier, but it is very different from the TSP with ALN barrier. We have performed X-ray Diffraction (XRD) experiments on these alloys and found that they, in general, exhibited face centered cubic crystallographic structure. Furthermore, our results renounce the idea of a direct relationship between the spin polarization and the magnetic moment for these alloys. We were surprised to find that pure Pt films showed obvious magnetic signatures both from PCAR spectroscopy and magnetization measurements, while TSP was found to be zero for pure Pt electrodes (Ref. [1]).;The Co-based Heusler alloys are also of special interest for possible spintronic applications due to their high Curie temperatures and high magnetic moment per unit cell. Co2FeSi is especially promising as a candidate half-metal as it has a Curie temperature of approximately 1100 K and the integer magnetic moment of 6 muB per unit cell (Ref. [2]). The samples have been prepared by arc melting of stoichiometric quantities of pure metals in argon atmosphere followed by annealing in sealed quartz tubes at 1300 K. We have experimentally measured PC in Co2FeSi and Co2Mn0.5Fe0.5Si using PCAR spectroscopy. We found that spin polarization for these two alloys was significantly lower than that predicted by theoretical studies. We have attributed this reduction in spin polarization to the defects and disorder in the crystallographic structure within the Heusler alloys. Moreover, we have also experimentally demonstrated that doping with Mn in Co2FeSi did not improve spin polarization for this alloy.;Spin diffusion length (Lsf) is of fundamental importance for spin dependent transport and spintronic devices. So far, most of the measurements of Lsf in nonmagnetic metals have been done in the lateral non-local geometry, with the chemical potential difference characterizing the spin imbalance. We have experimentally demonstrated spin transport studies in Heusler/Au bilayers using PCAR spectroscopy. Variable thickness Au films were deposited on top of the Heusler alloys and the PCAR spectroscopy was then used to probe PC on the Au side. In our approach Lsf was measured directly with PCAR spectroscopy. A spin polarized current was injected from a ferromagnetic electrode, Co2Mn0.5Fe0.5Si Heusler alloy, into Au films of variable thickness. The spin current, which gradually decays with the increased thickness of the film, was measured with a superconducting Nb tip. We developed a phenomenological theory which allowed us to determine Lsf in such a system. We found L sf in Au to be on the order of 312+/-36 nm at 4 K, comparable to the results obtained by other techniques using conventional ferromagnetic spin injectors. Similar results were obtained with a Gd single crystal.;One of the potential advantages of this new technique, however, is the ability to do the point contact measurements on the side of the normal electrode, which should allow one to do the complete measurement of spin diffusion length by consequentially measuring the spin polarization in a normal metal as a function of thickness in a single sample. This experimental demonstration may be considered as the first step in this direction. (Abstract shortened by UMI.);[1] Kaiser et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 94, 247203 (2005). [2] Wurmehl et al., J. Appl. Phys. 99, 08J103 (2006).