Co-TMDC MTJs: A New Frontier in Spintronics

Transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDCs) are promising materials for various applications due to their exceptional electronic and optical properties. These materials can be synthesized in various forms, including monolayer, few-layer, and bulk-layered structures, allowing for tailored properties through techniques such as doping, defect engineering, and heterostructure formation. We investigated Co/XY₂/Co (X ∈ (Mo, W), Y ∈ (S, Se, Te)) as a noble magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) for high spin-polarized current. Density functional theory (DFT) was used to calculate the ground-state electronic properties, and nonequilibrium Green’s function methods were employed for quantum transport calculations. Our findings indicate that transport in these semiconductors primarily occurs away from the Γ-point. The highest tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) obtained ranged from approximately 500-3600%. All MTJs in the P configuration exhibited a dominant spin minority current in the tunneling regime. This research provides valuable insights into realizing a high TMR and spin-polarized current using two-dimensional (2D) semiconductors as tunnel barriers.