Spin-polarized scanning tunnelling microscopy: the sensitivity of the spin-dependent current asymmetry to the barrier shape

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
The influence of the barrier shape on tunnelling of spin-polarized electrons through a vacuum gap between the tip of a scanning tunnelling microscope and a magnetic sample is analysed. It is shown that the spin-dependent transmission probability of the electrons depends strongly on the form of the barrier at the sample surface. This suggests that for a detailed interpretation of the images obtained by a spin-polarized scanning tunnelling microscope the barrier shape should be known.