Spin filtering in double tunnel junctions: The two-band model of the electronic structure of magnetic insulators

The effect of the top of the valence band of an insulator on spin filtering in tunnel structures with nanometer magnetic dielectric layers is discussed. It has been shown that the effect disappears completely at a zero bias voltage and is significantly suppressed at finite voltages if the Fermi level lies in the middle of the band gap of the insulator. This is the main cause of the recently observed striking discrepancy between the theoretical values of the magnetoresistance of double tunneling spin filters and the respective experimental data.