Working on future spintronic devices, Dr Anita Halder, Assistant Professor from the Department of Physics has published her research article titled “Spin-dependent transport in Fe3GaTe2 and FenGeTe2 (n = 3–5) van der Waals ferromagnets for magnetic tunnel junctions” in the prestigious journal 2D materials having an impact factor of 4.9.

The study focuses on a class of 2D magnetic materials that can be easily exfoliated from bulk crystals, making them practical for ultra-thin devices. Using computer simulations, the researchers studied how electrons move through a family of Fe-based 2D materials and whether they prefer one “spin” direction.

Most of these materials act like a spin filter, allowing mainly one type of spin to pass, with the Fe₃GaTe₂ compound showing the best performance. Overall, these materials promise for future spintronic devices that could be faster and more energy-efficient.

Abstract

We use ab-initio calculations to study the spin-dependent electronic structure and transport properties of a family of van der Waals (vdW) ferromagnets, namely Fe₃GeTe₂, Fe₄GeTe₂, Fe₅GeTe₂, and Fe₃GaTe₂ as MTJ electrodes. Most compounds exhibit spin-up–dominated Fermi surfaces and nearly half-metallic out-of-plane transport with >90% spin polarization, with Fe₃GaTe₂ showing the most robust behaviour. Bilayer magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) models preserve this polarization, producing tunneling magnetoresistance of several hundred percent, highlighting these materials—especially Fe₃GaTe₂—as promising for spintronics.

 Practical implementation/ Social implications of the Research

Easily exfoliable 2D magnetic materials, could serve as a future alternative to Fe–MgO–based magnetic tunnel junctions (the industry standard for magnetic recording and sensing) for faster and more energy-efficient spintronic devices.

Practical implementation/ Social implications of the Research

Easily exfoliable 2D magnetic materials, could serve as a future alternative to Fe–MgO–based magnetic tunnel junctions (the industry standard for magnetic recording and sensing) for faster and more energy-efficient spintronic devices.

Collaborations

Prof. Stefano Sanvito and his group from Trinity College Dublin and Dr Andrea Droghetti from Ca’ Foscari University of Venice.

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