Giant spin-dependent thermoelectric effect in magnetic tunnel junctions

Abstract

Thermoelectric effects in magnetic nanostructures and the so-called spin caloritronics are attracting much interest. Indeed it provides a new way to control and manipulate spin currents, which are key elements of spin-based electronics. Here we report on a giant magnetothermoelectric effect in a magnetic tunnel junction. The thermovoltage in this geometry can reach 1 mV. Moreover a magnetothermovoltage effect could be measured with ratio similar to the tunnel magnetoresistance ratio. The Seebeck coefficient can then be tuned by changing the relative magnetization orientation of the two magnetic layers in the tunnel junction. Therefore, our experiments extend the range of spintronic devices application to thermoelectricity and provide a crucial piece of information for understanding the physics of thermal spin transport. © 2012 Macmillan Publishers Limited. All rights reserved.