Amplification of magnetoresistance of magnetite in an Fe3O4–SiO2–Si structure

Film of Fe3O4 was prepared with laser molecular beam epitaxy deposition on a Si substrate with a native SiO2 layer. When the temperature is increased above 250 K, the resistance drops rapidly because the conduction path starts to switch from the Fe3O4 film to the inversion layer underneath the SiO2 via thermally assisted tunneling. A greatly magnified low field negative magnetoresistance of Fe3O4 is observed at 280 K. The effect is similar to a metal-oxide-semiconductor field-effect transistor. The magnetoresistance becomes positive with further increase in the magnetic field due to the Lorentz force and other effects on the carriers in the inversion layer.