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At least 181 records · Page 10
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Spin-induced linear polarization of photoluminescence in antiferromagnetic van der Waals crystals

Antiferromagnets are promising components for spintronics due to their terahertz resonance, multilevel states and absence of stray fields. However, the zero net magnetic moment of antiferromagnets makes the detection of the antiferromagnetic order and the investigation of fundamental spin properties notoriously difficult. Here, we report an optical detection of Néel vector orientation through an ultra-sharp photoluminescence in the van der Waals antiferromagnet NiPS 3 from bulk to atomically thin flakes. The strong correlation between spin flipping and electric dipole oscillator results in a linear polarization of the sharp emission, which aligns perpendicular to the spin orientation in the crystal. By applying an in-plane magnetic field, we achieve manipulation of the photoluminescence polarization. Furthermore, this correlation between emitted photons and spins in layered magnets provides routes for investigating magneto-optics in two-dimensional materials, and hence opens a path for developing opto-spintronic devices and antiferromagnet-based quantum information technologies.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2023

Antiferromagnetic metal phase in an electron-doped rare-earth nickelate

Long viewed as passive elements, antiferromagnetic materials have emerged as promising candidates for spintronic devices due to their insensitivity to external fields and potential for high-speed switching. Recent work exploiting spin and orbital effects has identified ways to electrically control and probe the spins in metallic antiferromagnets, especially in non-collinear or non-centrosymmetric spin structures. The rare-earth nickelate NdNiO 3 is known to be a non-collinear antiferromagnet in which the onset of antiferromagnetic ordering is concomitant with a transition to an insulating state. In this work, we find that for low electron doping, the magnetic order on the nickel site is preserved, whereas electronically, a new metallic phase is induced. We show that this metallic phase has a Fermi surface that is mostly gapped by an electronic reconstruction driven by bond disproportionation. Furthermore, we demonstrate the ability to write to and read from the spin structure via a large zero-field planar Hall effect. Our results expand the already rich phase diagram of rare-earth nickelates and may enable spintronics applications in this family of correlated oxides.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Twist-assisted all-antiferromagnetic tunnel junction in the atomic limit

Abstract Antiferromagnetic spintronics 1,2 shows great potential for high-density and ultrafast information devices. Magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), a key spintronic memory component that are typically formed from ferromagnetic materials, have seen rapid developments very recently using antiferromagnetic materials 3,4 . Here we demonstrate a twisting strategy for constructing all-antiferromagnetic tunnel junctions down to the atomic limit. By twisting two bilayers of CrSBr, a 2D antiferromagnet (AFM), a more than 700% nonvolatile tunnelling magnetoresistance (TMR) ratio is shown at zero field (ZF) with the entire twisted stack acting as the tunnel barrier. This is determined by twisting two CrSBr monolayers for which the TMR is shown to be derived from accumulative coherent tunnelling across the individual CrSBr monolayers. The dependence of the TMR on the twist angle is calculated from the electron-parallel momentum-dependent decay across the twisted monolayers. This is in excellent agreement with our experiments that consider twist angles that vary from 0° to 90°. Moreover, we also find that the temperature dependence of the TMR is, surprisingly, much weaker for the twisted as compared with the untwisted junctions, making the twisted junctions even more attractive for applications. Our work shows that it is possible to push nonvolatile magnetic information storage to the atomically thin limit.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2025

Magnon spectroscopy in the electron microscope

Abstract The miniaturization of transistors is approaching its limits owing to challenges in heat management and information transfer speed 1 . To overcome these obstacles, emerging technologies such as spintronics 2 are being developed, which make use of the electron’s spin as well as its charge. Local phenomena at interfaces or structural defects will greatly influence the efficiency of spin-based devices, making the ability to study spin-wave propagation at the nanoscale and atomic scale a key challenge 3,4 . The development of high-spatial-resolution tools to investigate spin waves, also called magnons, at relevant length scales is thus essential to understand how their properties are affected by local features. Here we detect bulk THz magnons at the nanoscale using scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM). By using high-resolution electron energy-loss spectroscopy with hybrid-pixel electron detectors, we overcome the challenges posed by weak signals to map THz magnon excitations in a thin NiO nanocrystal. Advanced inelastic electron scattering simulations corroborate our findings. These results open new avenues for detecting magnons and exploring their dispersions and their modifications arising from nanoscale structural or chemical defects. This marks a milestone in magnonics and presents exciting opportunities for the development of spintronic devices.

Science & Technology - Other Topics↗
DOE OSTI2023

Energy gap of topological surface states in proximity to a magnetic insulator

Abstract Topological surface-states can acquire an energy gap when time-reversal symmetry is broken by interfacing with a magnetic insulator. This gap has yet to be measured. Such topological-magnetic insulator heterostructures can host a quantized anomalous Hall effect and can allow the control of the magnetic state of the insulator in a spintronic device. In this work, we observe the energy gap of topological surface-states in proximity to a magnetic insulator using magnetooptical Landau level spectroscopy. We measure Pb 1-x Sn x Se–EuSe heterostructures grown by molecular beam epitaxy exhibiting a record mobility and low Fermi energy. Through temperature dependent measurements and theoretical calculations, we show this gap is likely due to quantum confinement and conclude that the magnetic proximity effect is weak in this system. This weakness is disadvantageous for the realization of the quantum anomalous Hall effect, but favorable for spintronic devices which require the preservation of spin-momentum locking at the Fermi level.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2022

Domain state exchange bias in a single layer FeRh thin film formed via low energy ion implantation

Modern spintronics relies heavily on the exchange bias effect to pin the orientation of ferromagnetic layers in magnetic tunnel junctions. The current implementations of exchange bias in magnetic tunnel junctions employ pristine interfaces between antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic layers. Here we reveal an interfacial exchange bias introduced by a single-step, low-energy ion implantation process in a single layer FeRh thin film. Both 1 keV He + ions and 5 keV Fe + were investigated, their energy selected to ensure the ions would stop within the FeRh film. The ions reduce the metamagnetic transition temperature through defect generation to form a surface layer with ferromagnetic ordering. Temperature dependent magnetism measurements reveal a room temperature exchange bias between the ferromagnetic surface and the antiferromagnetic bulk of ~41 Oe in 5 keV Fe + implanted samples and ~36 Oe for 1 keV He + implanted samples. We directly scrutinize this exchange bias effect in magnetic depth profiles obtained by polarized neutron reflectometry which clearly show a pinned ferromagnetic layer adjacent to the disordered layer created by low energy Fe + ion implantation. These results reveal a novel method to implement exchange bias in an antiferromagnetic layer that can have direct application in the field of spintronics.

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CH↗
DOE OSTI2025

Chiral induction at the nanoscale and spin selectivity in electron transmission in chiral methylated BEDT-TTF derivatives

Great efforts have been made in the last few decades to realize electronic devices based on organic molecules. A possible approach in this field is to exploit the chirality of organic molecules for the development of spintronic devices, an applicative way to implement the chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect. In this work we exploit enantiopure tetrathiafulvalene (TTF) derivatives as chiral inducers at the nanoscale. The aim is to make use of TTF's well-known and unique semiconducting properties, to be expressed in the fields of enantio-selectivity and the chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) effect. Further, the experimental results shown in this paper further demonstrate how chirality and spin are deeply interrelated, as foreseen within the CISS effect theory, paving the way for the application of TTF derivatives in the field of spintronics. In this work, we demonstrate that tetramethyl-bis(ethylenedithio)-tetrathiafulvalene (TM-BEDT-TTF) (1) behaves as an efficient spin filter, as evidenced by magneto-atomic force microscopy (mc-AFM) measurements. Additionally, it is shown to be effective in transferring chirality to CdS/CdSe core–shell nanoparticles, as inferred from the analysis of circularly resolved photoluminescence spectra. This makes 1 a promising candidate for a variety of applications, ranging from plasmonics to quantum computing.

77 NANOSCIENCE AND NANOTECHNOLOGY↗
DOE OSTI2025

Enhanced magnetic and optical properties of Y 3 Fe 5 O 12 (YIG) films with Au nanoinclusions

Y 3 Fe 5 O 12 (YIG) thin films are well known for their ferrimagnetic insulating property and low Gilbert damping coefficient (α), allowing them to be used for various spintronic applications and as magneto-optical isolators for photonic devices. Instead of doping, incorporation of plasmonic metals as nanoinclusions could be a promising route for improved magneto-optical coupling properties. In this work, YIG–Au nanocomposites have been deposited with ferrimagnetic insulating YIG as the matrix and Au nanoinclusions which introduce plasmonic absorption, optical anisotropy, and hyperbolic properties. Films with varying Au nanoinclusion densities have been processed and annealed to compare with the as-deposited ones. The films that had low Au nanoinclusion density and were annealed presented a lower magnetic damping coefficient of 2.84 × 10 −4 than the pure YIG film (9.66 × 10 −4 ). The as-deposited film with the highest Au density shows the strongest hyperbolic properties among all samples. These results demonstrate that both magnetic damping and optical properties can be tuned through deposition conditions in YIG–Au nanocomposite thin films, allowing for a balance of both properties. This YIG–Au nanocomposite system presents promising potential in next-generation opto-spintronic devices.

Quigley, Lizabeth [Purdue Univ., West Lafayette, I↗
DOE OSTI2020

Room temperature multiferroicity and magnetodielectric coupling in 0–3 composite thin films

Magnetoelectric (ME) composite thin films are promising candidates for novel applications in future nanoelectronics, spintronics, memory and other multifunctional devices as they exhibit much higher ME coupling and transition temperatures (Tc) than well-known single phase multiferroics discovered to date. Among the three types of multiferroic composite nanostructures, (2-2) layered and (1-3) vertically aligned composite nanostructures exhibit comparatively smaller ME coupling due to different shortcomings which restrict their use in many applications. Here we study the morphological, piezoresponse force microscopic (PFM), ferroelectric, magnetic, and magnetodielectric properties of 0-3 (magnetic nanoparticles (0) homogeneously distributed in ferroelectric matrices (3)) multiferroic composite thin films. The Pb(Fe 0.5 Nb 0.5 )O 3 (PFN) - Ni 0.65 Zn 0.35 Fe 2 O 4 (NZFO) particulate composite films were synthesized by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). These particulate composite thin films are completely c-axis oriented with very low surface roughness. We observed magnetic and ferroelectric T c above room temperature (RT) for all composite thin films. The PFN-NZFO 0-3 composites exhibit large polarization, high saturated magnetization with low coercive field, low dielectric loss along with magnetodielectric coupling at RT. These nanocomposites might be utilized in next generation nano/microelectronics and spintronic devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Voltage-controlled spin–orbit torque switching in W/CoFeB/MgO

Voltage control of magnetism and spintronics have been highly desirable but rarely realized. In this work, we show voltage-controlled spin–orbit torque (SOT) switching in W/CoFeB/MgO films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) with voltage administered through SrTiO 3 with a high dielectric constant. We show that a DC voltage can significantly lower PMA by 45%, reduce switching current by 23%, and increase the damping-like torque as revealed by the first- and second-harmonic measurements. These are characteristics that are prerequisites for voltage-controlled and voltage-select SOT switching spintronic devices.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2021

Strongly heat-assisted spin–orbit torque switching of a ferrimagnetic insulator

Ferrimagnetic insulators promise low-power and high-speed spintronic applications, thanks to their insulating nature and fast dynamics near compensation points. In a ferrimagnetic insulator/heavy metal heterostructure, we investigate field- and current-induced magnetization switching at various temperatures and observe distinct magnetization switching behaviors owing to spin-orbit torque (SOT) and heating effect. We have realized SOT switching across the magnetization compensation temperature and discovered that the SOT switching is strongly heat-assisted: the temperature is always above the compensation temperature while the SOT switching happens in our case. Moreover, we show that the SOT efficiency is strongly magnetization-dependent by characterizing the current dependence of SOT efficiency and explaining the anomalous SOT switching back phenomena in the presence of a titled external field. Our results reveal the critical role of Joule heating on the dynamics of magnetic insulators and pave the way for the application of spintronic devices based on magnetic insulators.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Vector spin Seebeck effect and spin swapping effect in antiferromagnetic insulators with non-collinear spin structure

Antiferromagnets (AFs) are prospective for next-generation high-density and high-speed spintronic applications due to their negligible stray field and ultrafast spin dynamics, notwithstanding the challenges in detecting and manipulating AF order with no magnetization (M = 0). Among the AFs, non-collinear AFs are of particular interest because of their unique properties arising from the non-collinear spin structure and the small magnetization M. In this work, we describe the recently observed vector spin Seebeck effect in non-collinear LuFeO 3 , where the magneto-thermovoltage under an in-plane temperature gradient, not previously observed, is consistent with the predicted spin swapping effect. Our results shed light on the importance of the non-collinear spin structure in the emerging spin phenomena in non-collinear AFs and offer a new class of materials for AF spintronics and spin caloritronics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Fabrication of single-crystalline YFeO3 films with large antiferromagnetic domains

The antiferromagnetic orthoferrite YFeO3 possesses fascinating magnetic properties for spintronics, such as terahertz spin dynamics, ultrafast domain wall motion, and long magnon decay length. YFeO3 belongs to a special family of antiferromagnets that show an unusually strong non-trivial Kerr response due to its weak ferromagnetism. The highly stable antiferromagnetic domains without any spontaneous spin rotation transitions below the 645 K Néel temperature may be useful for nanoscale device applications. We report the successful fabrication of high-quality twinning-free (110)-oriented YFeO3 films by pulsed laser deposition. Detailed structural and magnetic characterization revealed that the crystal structure and magnetic properties of the YFeO3 films are comparable to bulk single crystals. We show that the spin rotation under high magnetic fields follows the two-sublattice approximation model. The film surface is atomically flat with step-terrace surface morphology. A longitudinal magneto-optic Kerr (MOKE) rotation of 10 mdeg was observed at room temperature, which is consistent with earlier reports on bulk single crystals. The in-plane anisotropy of the Kerr response corresponds to the obtained magnetic anisotropy from the SQUID measurement. The large MOKE signal enables the imaging of antiferromagnetic domains and their reversal. The domain size was found to be larger than 100 μm. These high-quality YFeO3 thin films facilitate the fabrication of antiferromagnetic spintronic devices and provide a convenient platform for studying various spin-related phenomena in thin films and at interfaces.

Physics↗
DOE OSTI2024

Promises and technological prospects of two-dimensional Rashba materials

The Rashba spin–orbit coupling effect, primarily arising from structural-inversion asymmetry in periodic crystals, has garnered considerable attention due to its tunability and potential applications in spintronics. Its capability to manipulate electron spin without an external magnetic field opens new avenues for spintronic device design, particularly in semiconductor technology. Within this framework, 2D Rashba materials hold special interest due to their inherent characteristics, which facilitate miniaturization and engineering capabilities. In this Perspective article, we provide an overview of recent advancements in the research of 2D Rashba materials, aiming to offer a comprehensive understanding of the diverse manifestations and multifaceted implications of the Rashba effect in material science. Rather than merely presenting a list of materials, our approach involves synthesizing various viewpoints, assessing current trends, and addressing challenges within the field. Our objective is to bridge the gap between fundamental research and practical applications by correlating each material with the necessary advancements required to translate theoretical concepts into tangible technologies. Furthermore, we highlight promising avenues for future research and development, drawing from insights gleaned from the current state of the field.

Physics↗
DOE OSTI2025

Direct measurement of reduced exchange stiffness and its impact on magnetic vortex behavior in PyGd alloys

Thin films composed of sputtered transition metal/rare earth (TM/RE) ferrimagnets have emerged as promising building blocks for future spintronic devices, offering tunable magnetic properties critical for data storage, memory, and logic applications. However, understanding how the combination of TM and RE elements influences effective magnetic properties, such as exchange stiffness (Aex), remains challenging. Magnetic vortices provide a versatile tool for probing these properties in thin film systems. By combining magnetic imaging via soft x-ray microscopy and micromagnetic modeling, we quantify the effective exchange stiffness in PyGd ferrimagnetic disks with varying Gd concentrations. Our results indicate a reduction in Aex to below 3 pJ/m for a 20% Gd concentration when compared to reference Py, and values below 2 pJ/m for 30% Gd, reflecting weak Ni–Gd exchange coupling. These findings highlight the critical role of rare earth content in tuning the exchange stiffness. The reduced exchange stiffness facilitates a linear field response of the magnetization up to the edge of the disk, as well as significant deformations in the vortex core itself when compared to films with larger Aex. Our results are in line with, albeit lower than, recent measurements of the exchange stiffness in intermixed PyGd. This reduced exchange stiffness has implications for the development of spintronic devices based on ferrimagnetic skyrmions.

Jacob, Liyan↗
DOE OSTI2022

Designing strong and tunable magnetoelectric coupling in 2D trilayer heterostructures

Abstract The quest for electric-field control of nanoscale magnetic states such as skyrmions, which would impact the field of spintronics, has led to a challenging search for multiferroic materials or structures with strong magnetoelectric coupling and efficient electric-field control. Here we report a theoretical prediction that such phenomena can be realized in two-dimensional (2D) bilayer FE/PMM and trilayer FE/PMM/FE heterostructures (two-terminal and three-terminal devices), where FE is a 2D ferroelectric and PMM is a polar magnetic metal with strong spin–orbit coupling. Such a PMM has strong Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions (DMI) that can generate skyrmions, while the FE can generate strong magnetoelectric coupling through polarization-polarization interactions. In trilayer heterostructures, contact to the metallic PMM layer enables multiple polarization configurations for electric-field control of skyrmions. We report density-functional-theory calculations for particular material choices that demonstrate the effectiveness of these arrangements, with the key driver being the polarization-polarization interactions between the PMM and FE layers. The present findings provide a method to achieve strong magnetoelectric coupling in the 2D limit and a new perspective for the design of related spintronics.

Materials Science↗
DOE OSTI2025

Observation of Chiral Magnon Band Splitting in Altermagnetic Hematite

Altermagnets, a new frontier for spintronics, represent a distinct magnet class with nonrelativisticsplitting of both electronic and chiral magnon bands, yet experimental verification of their unique magnondynamics remains scarce. In this Letter, inelastic neutron scattering experiments on α-Fe 2 O 3 reveal a clearmagnon band splitting about 3 meV at ∼100 meV. Here, we trace the origin of this splitting to the alternatingexchange interactions between the 13th nearest neighbors, as supported by first-principles calculations, andconfirm that the magnons have chiral splits by theoretical modeling. This definitive characterization ofchiral magnons in hematite provides the fundamental insight needed to design and control spin transport innovel spintronic applications.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2025

Nanoscale Quantum Imaging of Field-Free Deterministic Switching of a Chiral Antiferromagnet

Recently, unconventional spin-orbit torques (SOTs) with tunable spin generation have opened new pathways for designing novel magnetization control for cutting-edge spintronics innovations. A leading research thrust is to develop field-free deterministic magnetization switching for implementing scalable and energy favorable magnetic recording and storage, which have been demonstrated in conventional ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic material systems. Here, in this work, we extend this advanced magnetization control strategy to chiral antiferromagnet Mn 3 ⁢Sn using spin currents with out-of-plane canted polarization generated from low-symmetry van der Waals (vdW) material WTe 2 . Numerical calculations suggest that dampinglike SOT of spins injected perpendicular to the kagome plane of Mn 3⁢ Sn serves as a driving force to rotate the chiral magnetic order, while the fieldlike SOT of spin currents with polarization parallel to the kagome plane provides the bipolar deterministicity to the magnetic switching in the absence of an external magnetic field. We further introduce scanning quantum microscopy to visualize nanoscale evolutions of Mn 3 ⁢Sn magnetic domains during the field-free switching process, corroborating the exceptionally large magnetic switching ratio up to 90%. Our results highlight the opportunities provided by hybrid SOT material platforms consisting of noncollinear antiferromagnets and low-symmetry vdW spin source materials for developing next-generation spintronic logic devices.

2-dimesional systems↗