Aligned magnetic domains in p- and n-type ferromagnetic nanocrystals and in pn-junction nanodiodes

Abstract

We form pn- and np-junctions between monolayers of p- and n-type nanocrystals that exhibit current rectification in the nanodiodes when characterized with a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) tip. With the use of ferromagnetic nanocrystals, we study the effect of mutual alignment of magnetization vectors on current rectification in the junction between the two nanocrystals. We show that when the magnetization vectors of the p- and of the n-type nanocrystals are parallel to each other (and both facing toward the apex of the STM tip) tunneling current in both bias modes increases with correspondingly a higher rectification ratio. This is in contrast to the parameters of the nanodiodes in which magnetization vectors of the components are unaligned or randomized. To analyze the results, we record scanning tunneling spectroscopy of the monolayer of the components having magnetization vectors aligned or unaligned to locate their valence and conduction band edges and to determine the effect of the alignment on the band edges. Upon alignment of the magnetization vectors of the nanocrystals in a monolayer, the conduction band edge of the p-type and valence band edge of the n-type semiconductor shift towards the Fermi energy leading to a change in energy levels of the pn-junctions and accounting for the improved parameters of the nanodiodes.