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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 271 records · Page 15
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2026

Imaging of a van der Waals spin-orbit torque system using spin ensembles in hBN

Recently, optically active spin defects embedded in two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals (vdW) crystals have emerged as a transformative quantum sensing platform to explore cutting-edge materials science. Taking advantage of excellent solid-state integrability, this new class of spin defects can be readily arranged in nanoscale proximity to target materials, showing great promise for realizing in-situ quantum sensing of microscopic spin and charge behaviors in vdW heterostructures. Here we report hexagonal boron nitride-based quantum imaging of field-free deterministic magnetic switching and electric current distributions in an all-vdW spin-orbit torque (SOT) system. By visualizing variations of nanoscale magnetic stray field profile of room-temperature 2D magnet Fe 3 GaTe 2 under different SOT conditions, we show how the magnetic switching evolves from deterministic to stochastic behavior due to the interplay between spin orientations, anisotropy and Joule heating. Micromagnetic simulations rationalize our results well, revealing the role of field-like SOT in inhibiting thermal fluctuation driven stochastic switching and chaotic multi-domain competition. This understanding, which is otherwise difficult to access by conventional transport measurements, offers valuable insights into material design, testing, and performance evaluation of next-generation vdW spintronic devices.

Imaging techniques↗
DOE OSTI2023

Machine learning nonequilibrium electron forces for spin dynamics of itinerant magnets

Abstract We present a generalized potential theory for conservative as well as nonconservative forces for the Landau-Lifshitz magnetization dynamics. Importantly, this formulation makes possible an elegant generalization of the Behler-Parrinello machine learning (ML) approach, which is a cornerstone of ML-based quantum molecular dynamics methods, to the modeling of force fields in adiabatic spin dynamics of out-of-equilibrium itinerant magnetic systems. We demonstrate our approach by developing a deep-learning neural network that successfully learns the electron-mediated exchange fields in a driven s-d model computed from the nonequilibrium Green’s function method. We show that dynamical simulations with forces predicted from the neural network accurately reproduce the voltage-driven domain-wall propagation. Our work also lays the foundation for ML modeling of spin transfer torques and opens a avenue for ML-based multi-scale modeling of nonequilibrium dynamical phenomena in itinerant magnets and spintronics.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Topological surface magnetism and Néel vector control in a magnetoelectric antiferromagnet

Antiferromagnetic states with no stray magnetic fields can enable high-density ultra-fast spintronic technologies. However, the detection and control of antiferromagnetic Néel vectors remain challenging. Linear magnetoelectric antiferromagnets (LMAs) may provide new pathways, but applying simultaneous electric and magnetic fields, necessary to control Néel vectors in LMAs, is cumbersome and impractical for most applications. Herein, we show that Cr 2 O 3 , a prototypical room-temperature LMA, carries a topologically-protected surface magnetism in all surfaces, which stems from intrinsic surface electric fields due to band bending, combined with the bulk linear magnetoelectricity. Consequently, bulk Néel vectors with zero bulk magnetization can be simply tuned by magnetic fields through controlling the magnetizations associated with the surface magnetism. Our results imply that the surface magnetizations discovered in Cr 2 O 3 should be also present in all LMAs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Tuning spin excitations in magnetic films by confinement

Spin excitations of magnetic thin films are the founding element for novel transport concepts in spintronics, magnonics, and magnetic devices in general. While spin dynamics have been extensively studied in bulk materials, their behaviour in mesoscopic films is less known due to experimental limitations. Here, we employ Resonant Inelastic X-Ray Scattering to investigate the spin excitation spectrum in mesoscopic Fe films, from bulk-like down to 3 unit cells thick. In bulk-like samples, we find isotropic, dispersive ferromagnons consistent with the dispersion observed by neutron scattering in bulk single crystals. As the thickness is reduced, these ferromagnons survive and evolve anisotropically: renormalising to lower energies along the out-of-plane direction while retaining their dispersion in the in-plane direction. This thickness dependence is captured by simple Heisenberg model calculations accounting for the confinement in the out-of-plane direction through the loss of Fe bonds. Overall, our findings highlight the effects of mesoscopic scaling on spin dynamics and identify thickness as a knob for fine-tuning and controlling magnetic properties in films.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Magnetic skyrmion bundles and their current-driven dynamics

Topological charge Q classifies non-trivial spin textures and determines many of their characteristics. Most abundant are topological textures with |Q| ≤ 1, such as (anti)skyrmions, (anti)merons or (anti)vortices. In this study we created and imaged in real space magnetic skyrmion bundles, that is, multi-Q three-dimensional skyrmionic textures. These textures consist of a circular spin spiral that ties together a discrete number of skyrmion tubes. We observed skyrmion bundles with integer Q values up to 55. We show here that electric currents drive the collective motion of these particle-like textures similar to skyrmions. Bundles with Q ≠ 0 exhibit a skyrmion Hall effect with a Hall angle of ~62°, whereas Q = 0 bundles, the so-called skyrmioniums, propagate collinearly with respect to the current flow, that is, with a skyrmion Hall angle of ~0°. Here, the experimental observation of multi-Q spin textures adds another member to the family of magnetic topological textures, which may serve in future spintronic devices.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2019

Enhancement of interlayer exchange in an ultrathin two-dimensional magnet

Following the recent isolation of monolayer CrI 3 , many more two-dimensional van der Waals magnetic materials have been isolated. Their incorporation in van der Waals heterostructures offers a new platform for spintronics, proximity magnetism and quantum spin liquids. A primary question in this field is how exfoliating crystals to the few-layer limit influences their magnetism. Studies of CrI 3 have shown a different magnetic ground state for ultrathin exfoliated films compared with the bulk, but the origin is not yet understood. Here, we use electron tunnelling through few-layer crystals of the layered antiferromagnetic insulator CrCl 3 to probe its magnetic order and find a tenfold enhancement of the interlayer exchange compared with bulk crystals. Moreover, temperature- and polarization-dependent Raman spectroscopy reveals that the crystallographic phase transition of bulk crystals does not occur in exfoliated films. This results in a different low-temperature stacking order and, we hypothesize, increased interlayer exchange. In conclusion, our study provides insight into the connection between stacking order and interlayer interactions in two-dimensional magnets, which may be relevant for correlating stacking faults and mechanical deformations with the magnetic ground states of other more exotic layered magnets such as RuCl 3 .

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Exchange bias due to coupling between coexisting antiferromagnetic and spin-glass orders

Exchange bias is a property of widespread technological utility, but its underlying mechanism remains elusive, in part because it is rooted in the interaction of coexisting order parameters in the presence of complex magnetic disorder. In this study we show that a giant exchange bias housed within a spin-glass phase arises in a disordered antiferromagnet. The magnitude and robustness of the exchange bias emerges from a convolution of two energetic landscapes, namely the highly degenerate landscape of the spin glass biased by the sublattice spin configuration of the antiferromagnet. The former provides a source of uncompensated moment, whereas the latter provides a mechanism for its pinning, which leads to the exchange bias. Tuning the relative strengths of the spin-glass and antiferromagnetic order parameters reveals a principle for tailoring the exchange bias, with potential applications to spintronic technologies.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Observation of plaid-like spin splitting in a noncoplanar antiferromagnet

Spatial, momentum and energy separation of electronic spins in condensed matter systems guides the development of novel devices where spin-polarized current is generated and manipulated. Recent attention on a set of previously overlooked symmetry operations in magnetic materials leads to the emergence of a new type of spin splitting, enabling giant and momentum-dependent spin polarization of energy bands on selected antiferromagnets. Despite the ever-growing theoretical predictions, the direct spectroscopic proof of such spin splitting is still lacking. Here, we provide solid spectroscopic and computational evidence for the existence of such materials. In the noncoplanar antiferromagnet MnTe 2 , the in-plane components of spin are found to be antisymmetric about the high-symmetry planes of the Brillouin zone, comprising a plaid-like spin texture in the antiferromagnetic (AFM) ground state. Such an unconventional spin pattern, further found to diminish at the high- temperature paramagnetic state, stems from the intrinsic AFM order instead of spin- orbit coupling (SOC). Furthermore, our finding demonstrates a new type of quadratic spin texture induced by time-reversal breaking, placing AFM spintronics on a firm basis and paving the way for studying exotic quantum phenomena in related materials.

Electronic devices↗
DOE OSTI2025

Electrical switching of a p-wave magnet

Magnetic states with zero magnetization but non-relativistic spin splitting are outstanding candidates for the next generation of spintronic devices. Their electronvolt (eV)-scale spin splitting, ultrafast spin dynamics and nearly vanishing stray fields make them particularly promising for several applications. A variety of such magnetic states with non-trivial spin textures have been identified recently, including even-parity d-wave, g-wave or i-wave altermagnets and odd-parity p-wave magnets. Achieving voltage-based control of the non-uniform spin polarization of these magnetic states is of great interest for realizing energy-efficient and compact devices for information storage and processing. Spin-spiral type II multiferroics are optimal candidates for such voltage-based control, as they exhibit an inversion-symmetry-breaking magnetic order that directly induces ferroelectric polarization, allowing for symmetry-protected cross-control between spin chirality and polar order. Here we combine photocurrent measurements, first-principles calculations and group-theory analysis to provide direct evidence that the spin polarization of the spin-spiral type II multiferroic NiI 2 exhibits odd-parity character connected to the spiral chirality. The symmetry-protected coupling between chirality and polar order enables electrical control of a primarily non-relativistic spin polarization. Our findings represent an observation of p-wave magnetism in a spin-spiral type II multiferroic, which may lead to the development of voltage-based switching of non-relativistic spin polarization in compensated magnets.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2022

Ultrafast optical control of surface and bulk magnetism in magnetic topological insulator/antiferromagnet heterostructure

Abstract Optical control of the magnetic properties in topological insulator systems is an important step in applying these materials in ultrafast optoelectronic and spintronic schemes. In this work, we report the experimental observation of photo-induced magnetization dynamics in the magnetically doped topological insulator (MTI)/antiferromagnet (AFM) heterostructure composed of Cr-(Bi,Sb) 2 Te 3 /CrSb. Through proximity coupling to the AFM layer, the MTI displays a dramatically enhanced magnetism, with robust perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. When subjected to intense laser irradiation, both surface and bulk magnetism of the MTI are weakened by laser-induced heating of the lattice, however, at the surface, the deleterious heat effect is compensated by the strengthening of Dirac-hole-mediated exchange coupling as demonstrated by an unconventional pump-fluence-dependent exchange-bias effect. Through theoretical analyses, the sizes of exchange coupling energies are estimated in the MTI/AFM bilayer structure. The fundamentally different mechanisms supporting the surface and bulk magnetic order in MTIs allow a novel and distinctive photo-induced transient magnetic state with antiparallel spin configuration, which broadens the understanding of the magnetization dynamics of MTIs under ultrashort and intense optical excitation.

42 ENGINEERING↗
DOE OSTI2023

Existence of La-site antisite defects in LaMO 3 (M = Mn, Fe, and Co) predicted with many-body diffusion quantum Monte Carlo

The properties of LaMO 3 (M: 3d transition metal) perovskite crystals are significantly dependent on point defects, whether introduced accidentally or intentionally. The most studied defects in La-based perovskites are the oxygen vacancies and doping impurities on the La and M sites. Here, we identify that intrinsic antisite defects, the replacement of La by the transition metal, M, can be formed under M-rich and O-poor growth conditions, based on results of an accurate many-body ab initio approach. Our fixed-node diffusion Monte Carlo (FNDMC) calculations of LaMO 3 (M = Mn, Fe, and Co) find that such antisite defects can have low formation energies and are magnetized. Complementary density functional theory (DFT)-based calculations show that Mn antisite defects in LaMnO 3 may cause the p-type electronic conductivity. These features could affect spintronics, redox catalysis, and other broad applications. Our bulk validation studies establish that FNDMC reproduces the antiferromagnetic state of LaMnO 3 , whereas DFT with PBE (Perdew–Burke–Ernzerhof), SCAN (strongly constrained and appropriately normed), and the LDA+U (local density approximation with Coulomb U) functionals all favor ferromagnetic states, at variance with experiment.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2022

Critical role of orbital hybridization in the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction of magnetic interfaces

Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI), an interfacial spin-orbit coupling (ISOC)-related effect, has become foundational for spintronic research and magnetic memory and computing technologies. However, the underlying mechanism of DMI, including the quantitative role of ISOC, has remained a long-standing unsettled problem due to the great challenge in quantifying and widely tuning ISOC strength in a strong DMI material system. Here, we find that DMI, ISOC, and orbital hybridization at the model magnetic interface Au 1-x Pt x /Co can be quantified and tuned significantly at the same time through the composition of the Au 1-x Pt x , without varying the bulk SOC and the electronegativity. From this ability, we establish that the widespread expectation that DMI should scale in linear proportion to ISOC breaks down at the Au 1-x Pt x /Co interface where degree of orbital hybridization varies with the Au 1-x Pt x composition and that the unexpected DMI behaviors can be understood well by the critical role of orbital hybridization. Our study provides a quantitative frame for comprehensively understanding interfacial DMI of various magnetic interfaces and establishes orbital hybridization as a new degree of freedom for controlling DMI in high-performance chiral domain wall/skyrmion devices and ultrafast magnetic tunnel junctions.

71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS, GENERAL PHYSIC↗
DOE OSTI2025

Probing polarization-tunable sub-terahertz spin pumping in bimodal α-Fe 2 O 3 /Pt

Hematite (α-Fe 2 O 3 ) is an insulating antiferromagnet possessing a room temperature canted phase induced by the super-exchange Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya Interaction (DMI), resulting in enhanced spin pumping and spin transport over uniaxial antiferromagnets. In this work we resonantly excite the quasi-ferromagnetic (acoustic) and purely antiferromagnetic (optical) spin-dynamical modes in bulk and thin-film heterostructures of α-Fe 2 O 3 /Pt at room temperature, inducing inverse-spin-Hall-voltages up to 255 GHz. Following recent measurements of optical-mode spin-pumping in α-Fe 2 O 3 , we observe a novel and exotic microwave polarization mapping along with amplified spin-charge conversion in the optical branch and discuss the implications of layer thickness on acoustic and optical spin-modes. The results provide a deeper understanding of spin-wave selection rules for canted antiferromagnets and their potential use in nanoscale terahertz spintronics.

interfaces↗
DOE OSTI2025

Dynamic signatures of spin-lattice coupling in the layered ferrimagnet Mn 3 Si 2 Te 6

Magnetic van der Waals (vdW) materials exhibit a profound interconnectedness between their various degrees of freedom, pointing to a wealth of potential applications in low-power and high-speed spintronic devices. Recently, light-matter interactions have been leveraged as robust, dynamic pathways to gain control over the properties of vdW magnets through the use of ultrafast pulses of light. Here, we utilize ultrafast photoexcitation to drive coherent lattice oscillations in the layered ferrimagnetic crystal Mn 3 Si 2 Te 6 , which significantly stiffen below the magnetic ordering temperature. We suggest that this is due to an exchange-mediated contraction of the lattice, stemming from strong magneto-structural coupling in this material. Furthermore, simulations of the transient incoherent response uncover the critical role of the spin-mediated electronic relaxation pathways. These results underscore the importance of spin-lattice coupling in vdW magnets and demonstrate a promising strategy for their dynamic optical control via their entangled degrees of freedom.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Curvilinear magnetic effects in helicoid nanotubes

We report the fabrication and characterization of ferromagnetic helicoid nanotubes with a tunable surface curvature and chirality. Through combining focused electron beam induced deposition and magnetron sputtering we realize these complex curvilinear magnetic architectures. Electron holography reveals two distinct states: a single domain remanent state, with a magnetic chirality governed by the geometric chirality, and a vortex-anti-vortex domain wall, preferentially forming at areas of lower curvature. Micromagnetic simulations reveal how the geometry, specifically pitch and local surface curvature, affects the stability and formation of magnetic domain walls. Furthermore, we show that the interplay between magnetic and geometric chirality has a strong impact on domain wall motion, whereby a right-handed geometric chirality leads to faster domain wall motion and a left-handed geometry hinders domain wall transport. The results shown here highlight the potential of 3D magnetic architectures in spintronic devices and offer insights into how geometry and curvature affect the magnetization, the distribution of magnetic solitons and the motion of domain walls.

3D Nanomagnetism↗
DOE OSTI2020

Prediction of room-temperature multiferroicity in strained MoCr 2 S 6 monolayer

The contrasting d-orbital occupation required for ferroelectricity vs ferromagnetism makes it difficult for their coexistence in two-dimensional materials, especially at high temperature. To resolve this intrinsic contradiction, we propose a layered MoCr 2 S 6 multiferroics by alloying magnetic Cr element into the ferroelectric 1T phase of the MoS 2 matrix. First-principles calculations disclose that a spontaneous symmetry breaking, depending on the Mo atom displacement, leads to a robust ferroelectricity, which coexists with a ferromagnetic order originated from two neighboring Cr atoms. The effect can be further enhanced by tensile strain to bring about a room-temperature multiferroicity. Our results shed new light on the fundamental understanding of multiferroics and display promising applications in spintronics and multistate data storage.

2D materials↗
DOE OSTI2020

Temperature-dependent anisotropic magnetoresistance and spin-torque-driven vortex dynamics in a single microdisk

Spin-orbit-torque-driven dynamics have recently gained interest in the field of magnetism due to the reduced requirement of current densities and an increase in efficiency, as well as the ease of implementation of different devices and materials. From a practical point of view, the low-frequency dynamics below 1GHz is particularly interesting since dynamics associated with magnetic domains lie in this frequency range. While spin-torque excitation of high-frequency modes has been extensively studied, the intermediate low-frequency dynamics have received less attention, although spin torques could potentially be used for both manipulation of the spin texture and the excitation of dynamics. In this paper, we demonstrate that it is possible to drive magnetic vortex dynamics in a single microdisk by spin-Hall torque at varying temperatures and relate the results to transport properties. We find that the gyrotropic mode of the core couples to the low-frequency microwave signal and produces a measurable voltage. The dynamic measurements are in agreement with magnetic transport measurements and are supported by micromagnetic simulations. Our results open the door for integrating magnetic vortex devices in spintronic applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Experimental parameters, combined dynamics, and nonlinearity of a magnonic-opto-electronic oscillator (MOEO)

We report the construction and characterization of a comprehensive magnonic-opto-electronic oscillator (MOEO) system based on 1550-nm photonics and yttrium iron garnet (YIG) magnonics. The system exhibits a rich and synergistic parameter space because of the ability to control individual photonic, electronic, and magnonic components. Taking advantage of the spin wave dispersion of YIG, the frequency self-generation as well as the related nonlinear processes becomes sensitive to the external magnetic field. Besides being known as a band-pass filter and a delay element, the YIG delay line possesses spin wave modes that can be controlled to mix with the optoelectronic modes to generate higher-order harmonic beating modes. With the high sensitivity and external tunability, the MOEO system may find usefulness in sensing applications in magnetism and spintronics beyond optoelectronics and photonics.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗