Highly spin-polarized current in an antiferromagnetic MnBi2Te4 film

The spin polarization of current plays an important role in the performance of spintronic devices. Therefore, a highly spin-polarized current source has always been explored through various methods. We study the effects of magnetic order on the electronic structures of antiferromagnetic (AFM) MnBi2Te4 films. A significant spin splitting is found in the surface states of a AFM MnBi2Te4 film with three septuple layers (SLs). The AFM film can show typical metallic behavior for spin-down electrons, and exhibit a semiconductor or insulator behavior with a band gap at the Fermi level for spin-up electrons, just like semimetal ferromagnets with theoretical spin polarization up to 100%. We also study that the electron transport in the 3-SLs AFM film with a square potential barrier, we find a highly spin-polarized current can be switched on and off by modulating the barrier height in the film.