Spin dependent tunneling at finite bias

Results of theoretical studies of spin dependent tunneling in magnetic tunnel junctions at finite bias are presented. A simple model which extends Slonczewski's ideas is developed. For each spin it assumes tunneling from a single free electron band through a simple barrier. The model predicts a decrease in conductance ratio with bias in good agreement with experimental observations. We find that the decrease of the magnetoconductance ratio, universally seen in experiment, has an intrinsic component resulting from the underlying electronic structure. (C) 2000 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(00)54708-2].