Tunnel magnetoresistance in oligophenyl based magnetic tunnel junctions

Molecular spintronics, an emerging research field at the frontier between organic chemistry and spintronics, has opened novel and exciting opportunities in terms of functionalities for spintronics devices. Among those devices, molecular magnetic tunnel Junctions have attracted a growing interest over the years. Indeed, it was shown that spin dependent hybridization at the metal/molecule interface could lead to a radical tailoring of spintronics properties. To achieve this, self-assembled monolayers appear to be very promising candidates thanks to their impressive molecular scale crafting properties and easy-processing. Previous works were done with basic molecules such as linear alkanethiols. We now focus on more complex molecules integrating aromatic moieties to study how the modification of the tunnel barrier impacts the magnetic and electronic behaviour of the devices. We will present spin dependent tunneling transport underlining the main similarities and differences between alkanethiols and oligophenyls MTJs.