Triple VTe2/graphene/VTe2 heterostructures as perspective magnetic tunnel junctions

Begunovich, Lyudmila, V; Kuklin, Artem, V; Visotin, Maxim A.; Kuzubov, Alexander A.; Tomilin, Felix N.; et al. Applied Surface Science. DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2020.145315

New perspective 1.4 nm thick spin-polarized triple heterostructures based on graphene sandwiched between two vanadium ditelluride monolayers (VTe2/graphene/VTe2) were studied using ab initio DFT technique. Both possible trigonal prismatic (H-VTe2) and octahedral (T-VTe2) VTe2 phases were considered to design and study graphene-based heterostructures. It was shown that the interaction with graphene changes the electronic structure of 2D T-VTe2 from metallic to half-metallic, making T phase perspective to be used for magnetic tunnel junctions. The electronic subsystem of graphene fragment is slightly hole doped. Calculated tunnel magne-toresistance ratio for the favorable heterostructure configuration estimated within the Julliere model is 220%, which opens a way to use VTe2/graphene/VTe2 as prospective magnetic tunnel junction in novel spintronic nanodevices based on tunnel magnetic resistance and spin transfer torque effects.