Correlating transmission and local electronic structure in planar junctions: A tool for analyzing spin-dependent transport calculations

We propose to correlate transmittance maps and spectral-density maps of planar junctions, in order to analyze quantitatively and in detail spin-dependent transport calculations. Since spectral-density maps can be resolved with respect to atom, angular momentum, and spin, the resulting correlation coefficients reveal unequivocally, e.g., which layers or which orbitals determine the tunnel conductances. Our method can be used for transport calculations within the Landauer-B\"uttiker formalism. Its properties and features will be discussed by means of a pure bcc Fe(001) lead as well as an extensively studied Fe(001)/MgO/Fe(001) planar tunnel junction.