Tunable asymmetric magnetoresistance in an Fe3GeTe2/graphite/Fe3GeTe2 lateral spin valve

Abstract

van der Waals (vdW) ferromagnetic heterojunctions, characterized by an ultraclean device interface and the absence of lattice matching, have emerged as indispensable and efficient building blocks for future spintronic devices. In this study, we present a seldom observed antisymmetric magnetoresistance (MR) behavior with three distinctive resistance states in a lateral van der Waals (vdW) structure comprising Fe₃GeTe₂ (FGT)/graphite/FGT. In contrast to traditional spin valves governed by the magnetization configurations of ferromagnetic electrodes (FEs), this distinct feature can be attributed to the interaction between FGT and the FGT/graphite interface, which is primarily influenced by the internal spin-momentum locking effect. Furthermore, modulation of the MR behavior is accomplished by employing the coupling between antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic materials to adjust the coercive fields of two FEs subsequent to the in situ growth of an FGT oxide layer on FGT. This study elucidates the device physics and mechanism of property modulation in lateral spin valves and holds the potential for advancing the development of gate-tunable spintronic devices and next-generation integrated circuits.