First principles study on the spin dependent electronic behavior of Co doped ZnO structures joining the Al electrodes

Employing first principles, Co doped ZnO systems between the Al electrodes were investigated through the Density Functional Theory combined with Non Equilibrium Green's Function Formalism. Electronic transport properties of these systems, in the presence of spin property, were revealed using substitutional Co atoms in a supercell. Spin resolved electronic behavior was observed to be crucially governed by atomic configuration, defined by doping position and concentration, of the system joining the electrodes. Using this feature, one can manipulate both the electronic transport and magnetic properties of an Al-Co doped ZnO-Al device structure. A nonlinearity was exhibited in current-voltage characteristics for Co doped ZnO systems attached to the Al electrodes, which implies a Schottky-like contact at the interface. The induced magnetic moment and spin polarization in the system, yielding the spin dependent transport, were elucidated. (C) 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.