Emergent quantum transport due to quenched magnetic impurity scattering by antiferromagnetic proximity in SrCuO2/SrIrO3

Abstract

Through an antiferromagnetic proximity effect, we demonstrate the evidence for quenched magnetic impurity scattering in a spin-orbit-coupled semimetal ${\mathrm{SrIrO}}_{3}$ proximitized with an antiferromagnetic ${\mathrm{SrCuO}}_{2}$ layer from quantum interference originated magnetoconductance study. Two distinct observations, i.e., (i) enhanced effective phase coherence length (${l}_{\ensuremath{\phi}}$) and (ii) emergence of chiral-anomaly-induced topological response in longitudinal magnetoconductance ($\stackrel{P\vec}{B}||\stackrel{P\vec}{E}$), signify that the magnetic impurity scattering is suppressed in the ${\mathrm{SrCuO}}_{2}/{\mathrm{SrIrO}}_{3}$ bilayer. The quenching of magnetic impurity scattering is discussed in the framework of the antiferromagnetic proximity effect, which is originated from spin Andreev reflection at the ${\mathrm{SrCuO}}_{2}/{\mathrm{SrIrO}}_{3}$ interface. This work unfolds a practical means to circumvent the detrimental effect of unintended magnetic impurity scattering and preserve quantum phenomena in complex materials.