  The tunneling electroresistance (TER) for ferroelectric tunnel junctions
(FTJs) with BaTiO_{3} (BTO) and PbTiO}_{3} (PTO) barriers is calculated by
combining the microscopic electronic structure of the barrier material with a
macroscopic model for the electrostatic potential which is caused by the
ferroelectric polarization. The TER ratio is investigated in dependence on the
intrinsic polarization, the chemical potential, and the screening properties of
the electrodes. A change of sign in the TER ratio is obtained for both barrier
materials in dependence on the chemical potential. The inverse imaginary Fermi
velocity describes the microscopic origin of this effect; it qualitatively
reflects the variation and the sign reversal of the TER. The quantity of the
imaginary Fermi velocity allows to obtain detailed information on the transport
properties of FTJs by analyzing the complex bandstructure of the barrier
material.
