Fabrication of FeOx thin films and the modulation of transport and magnetic properties by resistance switching in Au/α-Fe2O3/Pt heterostructure.

It was found that by using the same α-Fe2O3 target in fabrication process, an oxygen-deficient and an oxygen-sufficient atmosphere facilitated the formation of Fe3O4 and α-Fe2O3, respectively. The Au/α-Fe2O3/Pt heterostructure showed a memristive bipolar resistance switching. A clear difference was observed in the transport and magnetic properties between the two resistance states. The enhanced conductivity and magnetization in the Au/α-Fe2O3/Pt heterostructure are believed to result from an enhanced electron hopping between Fe3+-Fe2+ pairs and Fe3+-O-Fe2+ double exchange coupling effect. The enhanced Fe2+ comes from a redox transition between two phases (one behaves like Fe3O4 and the other like α-Fe2O3), due to the electrochemical migration of oxygen vacancies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]