Effect of CoFe insertion in Co{sub 2}MnSi/CoFe/n-GaAs junctions on spin injection properties
The CoFe thickness (t{sub CoFe}) dependence of spin injection efficiency was investigated for Co{sub 2}MnSi/CoFe/n-GaAs junctions. The ΔV{sub NL}/I value, which is a measure of spin injection efficiency, strongly depended on t{sub CoFe}, where ΔV{sub NL} is the amplitude of a nonlocal spin-valve signal, and I is an injection current. Importantly, the maximum value of ΔV{sub NL}/I for a Co{sub 2}MnSi/CoFe/n-GaAs junction was one order of magnitude higher than that for a CoFe/n-GaAs junction, indicating that a Co{sub 2}MnSi electrode works as a highly polarized spin source. No clear spin signal, on the other hand, was observed for a Co{sub 2}MnSi/n-GaAs junction due to diffusion of Mn atoms into the GaAs channel. Secondary ion mass spectrometry analysis indicated that the CoFe insertion effectively suppressed the diffusion of Mn into GaAs, resulting in improved spin injection properties compared with those for a Co{sub 2}MnSi/n-GaAs junction.