Angle-dependent Magnetoresistance Research Articles

Quantum Transport through a Quantum Dot Coupled to Majorana Nanowire and Two Ferromagnets with Noncollinear Magnetizations.

We study the electron tunneling (ET) and local Andreev reflection (AR) processes in a quantum dot (QD) coupled to the left and right ferromagnetic leads with noncollinear ferromagnetisms. In particular, we consider that the QD is also side-coupled to a nanowire hosting Majorana bound states (MBSs) at its ends. Our results show that when one mode of the MBSs is coupled simultaneously to both spin-up and spin-down electrons on the QD, the height of the central peak is different from that if the MBS is coupled to only one spin component electrons. The ET and AR conductances, which are mediated by the dot-MBS hybridization, strongly depend on the angle between the left and right magnetic moments in the leads. Interaction between the QD and the MBSs will result in sign change of the angle-dependent tunnel magnetoresistance. This is very different from the case when the QD is coupled to regular fermonic mode, and can be used for detecting the existence of MBSs, a current challenge in condensed matter physics under extensive investigations.

Unconventional magnetotransport properties of two-dimensional ferromagnet Fe5GeTe2

Two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals FexGeTe2 metallic ferromagnets have Curie temperature near or even higher than room temperature, showing great prospects in the field of spintronics. Here, we study the magnetotransport properties of Fe5GeTe2 nanoflakes. Multiple sign changes of angle-dependent magnetoresistance (ADMR) are observed with changing temperature or magnetic field. The high field-induced negative to positive MR transition in low temperatures (T < 50 K) and the temperature-induced sign reversal of anisotropic MR at T = 130 K are responsible for these exotic and complex characteristics of ADMR. In addition, the electron–magnon scattering induced negative MR exhibits abnormal nonmonotonic temperature dependence, which is related to the nonmonotonic variation of anomalous Hall resistance and the transition of the carrier types at T = 150 K. The exotic magnetotransport properties of Fe5GeTe2 revealed in this work may help pave the way for the practical application of this 2D magnetic material.

Evolution of magnetic anisotropy in La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin films due to the appearance of out-of-plane magnetization at low temperature

We have observed quadrupolar angle-dependent anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) at low temperature in La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) films grown on SrTiO3 substrate, where the magnetic field was applied while rotating the direction of the applied magnetic field from out-of-plane (OP) to in-plane. At room temperature, the easy axis is in-plane and has a two-fold magnetic anisotropy. As the temperature decreases, it changes to a quadrupolar anisotropy. Along with the AMR, we have measured the magnetoresistance (MR) in the OP direction at various temperatures. Like the AMR, we found the appearance of a new magnetic configuration in the OP direction at low temperatures. We suggest that one of the important origins of the new OP magnetism, which appears at temperature much lower than the Curie temperature (Tc), is the d3z2−r2 orbital at the interface between the LSMO films and SrTiO3 substrate. It has been reported that despite the tensile strain imposed by the SrTiO3 substrate, the d3z2−r2 orbital exists at the interface and causes the OP magnetism. We demonstrate by a polarized x-ray resonant scattering that there is a higher density of d3z2−r2 orbitals at the interface than in the region away from the interface. As other references have proposed, we suggest the orbital reconstructions and the orbital reconstruction-driven magnetic reorientation at the interface as the origin of the appearance of the OP magnetism present in the AMR and MR results.

Modulation of the optical and transport properties of epitaxial SrNbO3 thin films by defect engineering

The discovery of strontium niobate (SNO) as a potentially new transparent electrode has generated much interest due to its implications in various optoelectronic devices. Pristine SNO exhibits exceptionally low resistivity (∼10−4 Ω cm) at room temperature. However, this low resistivity occurs due to large number of carrier concentration in the system, which significantly affects its optical transparency (∼40%) in the visible range and hinders its practical applications as a transparent electrode. Here, we show that modulating the growth kinetics via oxygen manipulation is a feasible approach to achieve the desired optoelectronic properties. In particular, epitaxial (001) SNO thin films are grown on (001) lanthanum aluminate by pulsed laser deposition at different oxygen partial pressures and are shown to improve the optical transparency from 40% to 72% (λ = 550 nm) at a marginal cost of electrical resistivity from 2.8 to 8.1 × 10−4 Ω cm. These changes are directly linked with the multi-valence Nb-states, as evidenced by x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Furthermore, the defect-engineered SNO films exhibit multiple electronic phases that include pure metallic, coexisting metal-semiconducting-like, and pure semiconducting-like phases as evidenced by low-temperature electrical transport measurements. The intriguing metal-semiconducting coexisting phase is thoroughly analyzed using both perpendicular and angle-dependent magnetoresistance measurements, further supported by a density functional theory-based first-principles study and the observed feature is explained by the quantum correction to the conductivity. Overall, this study shows an exciting avenue for altering the optical and transport properties of SNO epitaxial thin films for their practical use as a next-generation transparent electrode.

Berry curvature induced spontaneous and topological-like Hall effect in magnetic Weyl semimetallic Nd2Ir2O7 (111) thin films

We report a study of longitudinal resistivity, anisotropic magnetoresistance (MR), and Hall effect on epitaxial Nd2Ir2O7 (111) thin films grown by the solid phase epitaxy technique, in which spin–orbit coupling, electronic correlation, magnetic frustration, and f-d exchange interaction are present. Temperature-dependent longitudinal resistivity (ρxx) data indicate semimetallic charge transport in the low-temperature region. Field-cooled longitudinal resistivity measurements detect negligible domain-wall conductance compared to the polycrystal or single-crystal samples. Angle-dependent MR measurement shows that the magnetic structure of Ir4+ 5d moments can be finely tuned by applying a magnetic field along different crystallographic directions. MR measurements show a field-induced modification of the Nd3+ 4f spin structure from all-in-all-out/all-out-all-in (AIAO/AOAI) (4-in-0-out) to 1-in-3-out for the applied field (H) along the [111] direction, resulting in field-induced plastic deformation of the Ir4+ domain distribution. In contrast, the application of field (H) along the [001] and [011] directions could not modify any domain distribution. A large spontaneous Hall effect (SHE) signal has been observed on Nd2Ir2O7 (111) thin film with AIAO/AOAI antiferromagnetic ordering for the application of field (H) along [001], [1̄1̄0], and [111] directions. The appearance of a large spontaneous Hall signal for the applied field along [001] and [1̄1̄0] directions rules out domain switching as the origin of the Hall effect and confirms the presence of the Weyl semimetallic phase in Nd2Ir2O7 (111) thin films. In addition to SHE, a large topological-like Hall signal is also observed, possibly due to the presence of multiple Weyl nodes in the electronic band structure.

Magnetic Field-Induced Spin Nematic Phase Up to Room Temperature in Epitaxial Antiferromagnetic FeTe Thin Films Grown by Molecular Beam Epitaxy.

Electronic nematicity, where strong correlations drive electrons to align in a way that lowers the crystal symmetry, is ubiquitous among unconventional superconductors. Understanding the interplay of such a nematic state with other electronic phases underpins the complex behavior of these materials and the potential for tuning their properties through external stimuli. Here, we report magnetic field-induced spin nematicity in a model system tetragonal FeTe, the parent compound of iron chalcogenide superconductors, which exhibits a bicollinear antiferromagnetic order. The studies were conducted on epitaxial FeTe thin films grown on SrTiO3(001) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy, where the bicollinear antiferromagnetic order was confirmed by in situ atomic resolution scanning tunneling microscopy imaging. A 2-fold anisotropy is observed in in-plane angle-dependent magnetoresistance measurements, indicative of magnetic field-induced nematicity. Such 2-fold anisotropy persists up to 300 K, well-above the bicollinear antiferromagnetic ordering temperature of 75 K, indicating a magnetic field-induced spin nematic phase up to room temperature in the antiferromagnet FeTe.

Spin Hall magnetoresistance across a paramagnetic Pt/NdGaO3 interface

In recent years, spin Hall magnetoresistance (SMR) has emerged as an efficient way to probe the spontaneous magnetization state in ordered magnetic systems by electrical current. Less known is its versatility as a probe of materials that do not possess spontaneous magnetization, such as in paramagnets. In this work, SMR is used to probe paramagnetic NdGaO3 (NGO), a rare earth oxide, possessing a sizable spin–orbit interaction (L = 6). NGO has not been investigated earlier for its efficiency in propagating spins. We have performed extensive temperature and angle dependent-magnetoresistance (ADMR) studies along different crystallographic axes in NGO, using platinum (Pt) as a spin injector and a detector and utilizing (inverse) spin Hall effect. We find a close correlation between the temperature dependence of the ADMR response with magnetization in NGO and a linear current bias dependence of the ADMR amplitudes. These are characteristics of the SMR effect in Pt/NGO, arising from the torque acting on localized moments in NGO and considering crystal field induced intermultiplet transitions with temperature. Control experiments on Pt/SrTiO3 and Pt/SiO2 devices were also carried out in order to validate the observed SMR response in the Pt/NGO bilayer and to rule out magnetoresistive contributions from Pt.

Localization and Directionality of Surface Transport in Bi2Te3 Ordered 3D Nanonetworks.

The resistance of an ordered 3D-Bi2Te3 nanowire nanonetwork was studied at low temperatures. Below 50 K the increase in resistance was found to be compatible with the Anderson model for localization, considering that conduction takes place in individual parallel channels across the whole sample. Angle-dependent magnetoresistance measurements showed a distinctive weak antilocalization characteristic with a double feature that we could associate with transport along two perpendicular directions, dictated by the spatial arrangement of the nanowires. The coherence length obtained from the Hikami-Larkin-Nagaoka model was about 700 nm across transversal nanowires, which corresponded to approximately 10 nanowire junctions. Along the individual nanowires, the coherence length was greatly reduced to about 100 nm. The observed localization effects could be the reason for the enhancement of the Seebeck coefficient observed in the 3D-Bi2Te3 nanowire nanonetwork compared to individual nanowires.

Abnormal sign change of angle-dependent magnetoresistance in polycrystalline WTe2 nanoplate

Abnormal sign change of angle-dependent magnetoresistance in polycrystalline WTe2 nanoplate

Surface anisotropic magnetoresistance in the antiferromagnetic semiconductor CrSb2

We report on large anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) in surface states of an antiferromagnetic semiconductor $\mathrm{Cr}{\mathrm{Sb}}_{2}$. The low-temperature measurement of angle-dependent magnetoresistance (ADMR) is performed in high magnetic fields up to 24 T. At 1.4 K, where the surface conduction is dominant, ADMR exhibits clear twofold symmetry consistent with AMR due to magnetic-field-induced change of antiparallel magnetic structure. The AMR magnitude reaches 9.3% despite the small angle dependence of the net magnetic moments, suggesting strong spin-orbit interaction in the surface conduction layer.

Effects of rare-earth magnetism on the superconducting upper critical field in infinite-layer nickelates.

The search for superconductivity in infinite-layer nickelates was motivated by analogy to the cuprates, and this perspective has framed much of the initial consideration of this material. However, a growing number of studies have highlighted the involvement of rare-earth orbitals; in that context, the consequences of varying the rare-earth element in the superconducting nickelates have been much debated. Here, we show notable differences in the magnitude and anisotropy of the superconducting upper critical field across the La-, Pr-, and Nd-nickelates. These distinctions originate from the 4f electron characteristics of the rare-earth ions in the lattice: They are absent for La3+, nonmagnetic for the Pr3+ singlet ground state, and magnetic for the Nd3+ Kramer's doublet. The unique polar and azimuthal angle-dependent magnetoresistance found in the Nd-nickelates can be understood to arise from the magnetic contribution of the Nd3+ 4f moments. Such robust and tunable superconductivity suggests potential in future high-field applications.

Observation of weak Kondo effect and angle dependent magnetoresistance in layered antiferromagnetic V[formula omitted]S[formula omitted] single crystal

The compound V5S8, also represented by V1.25S2, is a transition metal dichalcogenide (TMDC) with excess V. Very few TMDCs show magnetism and/or Kondo effect. Among them, for instance, the sister compounds VSe2 and VTe2 are recently found to show ferromagnetism in monolayer in addition to the low-temperature resistivity upturn due to Kondo effect in the bulk. In this study we find a resistance upturn below a critical temperature which disappears above an applied magnetic field of 2.5 T. This observation suggests the Kondo effect in V5S8 plausibly originated from an interaction of the conduction electrons with intercalated vanadium magnetic impurities. We find strong magnetic anisotropy in the antiferromagnetic state. In addition, below TN, we find an out-of-plane (H∥c) spin-flop transition triggered at a critical field of 3.5 T that is absent from the in-plane (H⊥c). Out-of-plane angle-dependent magnetoresistance is found to be highly anisotropic in the antiferromagnetic state.

Current shunting effects in Cd3As2: A closer look at the topological-ferromagnet interface

Topological materials, such as Cd3As2, are of great importance for next-generation computing systems where energy efficiency is paramount. For example, in spin–orbit torque magnetic access memory (SOT-MRAM), topological materials generate the spin–orbit torque necessary for magnetization switching of an adjacent magnetic layer. Current shunting at the ferromagnet–topological material interface can be detrimental for spin generation and overall SOT efficiency. Here, the current shunting effect is analyzed in permalloy- and gold-shunted Cd3As2 disk structures using angle-dependent magnetoresistance measurements. We observe Shubnikov–de Haas oscillations and weak antilocalization. Hakami–Larkin–Nagaoka and Tkachov–Hankiewicz models are used to evaluate the weak antilocalization. We confirm the effects of current shunting and discuss its detriment to the efficiency of spin-based devices.

Angle-dependent Magnetoresistance of an Ordered Bose Glass of Vortices in YBa2Cu3O7-δ Thin Films with a Periodic Pinning Lattice

The competition between intrinsic disorder in superconducting YBa2Cu3O7−δ (YBCO) thin films and an ultradense triangular lattice of cylindrical pinning centers spaced at 30 nm intervals results in an ordered Bose glass phase of vortices. The samples were created by scanning the focused beam of a helium-ion microscope over the surface of the YBCO thin film to form columns of point defects where superconductivity was locally suppressed. The voltage–current isotherms reveal critical behavior and scale in the vicinity of the second-order glass transition. The latter exhibits a distinct peak in melting temperature (Tg) vs. applied magnetic field (Ba) at the magnetic commensurability field, along with a sharp rise in the lifetimes of glassy fluctuations. Angle-dependent magnetoresistance measurements in constant-Lorentz-force geometry unveil a strong increase in anisotropy compared to a pristine reference film where the density of vortices matches that of the columnar defects. The pinning is therefore, dominated by the magnetic-field component parallel to the columnar defects, exposing its one-dimensional character. These results support the idea of an ordered Bose glass phase.

Anisotropic magnetoresistance and quantum oscillation in Sb2Te3 single crystal synthesized by a Te-flux method

Topological insulators (TIs) have attracted the widespread attentions due to their unique electronic structures and novel physical properties in past decades. Here, we investigate the magnetoresistance (MR) and Shubnikov-de Haas (SdH) oscillation in topological Sb2Te3. It is found that the angle-dependent MR shows the obvious anisotropy, and the maximal MR reaches ∼220% with the magnetic field rotated in ab plane at 2.5 K and 9 T. The Landau-level fan diagram indicates that Sb2Te3 possesses a nontrivial Berry phase. Comparing the SdH oscillations measured by the magnetic fields rotated in bc and ab planes, we find that the oscillation frequencies are similar, and the Berry phase shift is very slight. The first-principles calculations demonstrate that Sb vacancy can introduce an additional band across the Fermi level. The anisotropy of the Fermi surfaces reveals the anisotropic MR.

Synthesis of infinite-layer nickelates and influence of the capping-layer on magnetotransport

The recent discovery of a zero-resistance state in nickel-based compounds has generated a re-excitement about the long-standing problem in condensed matter of high-critical temperature superconductivity, in light of the similarities between infinite-layer nickelates and cuprates. However, despite some formal valence and crystal symmetry analogies, the electronic properties of infinite-layer nickelates are remarkably original accounting, among other properties, of a unique Nd 5d-Ni 3d hybridization. This designates infinite-layer nickelates as a new class of oxide superconductors which should be considered on their own. Here we report about Nd1-x Sr x NiO2 (x = 0, 0.05 and 0.2) thin films synthesized with and without a SrTiO3 (STO) capping-layer, showing very smooth and step-terraced surface morphologies. Angle-dependent anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) measurements performed with a magnetic field rotating in-plane or out-of-plane with respect to the sample surface, rendered important information about the magnetic properties of undoped STO-capped and uncapped samples. The results point at a key role of the capping-layer in controlling the magnitude and anisotropy of the AMR. We discuss this control in terms of a combined effect between the Nd 5d-Ni 3d hybridization and an intra-atomic Nd 4f-Nd 5d exchange coupling. Further studies foresee the influence of the capping layer on infinite-layer nickelates with no magnetic rare-earth.

Observation of Surface Superconductivity in a 3D Dirac Material

AbstractSuperconductivity becomes more interesting when it encounters dimensional constraint or topology because it is of importance for exploring exotic quantum phenomena or developing superconducting electronics. Here, the coexistence of naturally formed surface superconducting state and 3D topological Dirac state in single crystals of BaMg2Bi2 is reported. The electronic structure obtained from the first‐principles calculations demonstrates that BaMg2Bi2 is an ideal Dirac material, in which the Dirac point is very close to the Fermi level and no other energy band crosses the Fermi level. Superconductivity up to 4.77−−5.17 K can be observed under ambient pressure in the measurements of resistivity. The anisotropic upper critical field and angle dependent magnetoresistance reveals the 2D characteristic of superconductivity, indicating that superconductivity occurs on the surface of the sample and is absent in the bulk state. The study not only provides BaMg2Bi2 as a suitable platform to study the interplay between superconductivity and topological Dirac state but also indicates that MgBi‐based materials may be a promising system for exploring new superconductors.

Interplay of spin current and magnetization in a topological-insulator/magnetic-insulator bilayer structure

The interaction between accumulated spins on the surface of a heavy metal (HM) and the magnetization of an adjacent magnetic material leads to various spin phenomena, such as spin-orbit torque, spin pumping, and spin Hall magnetoresistance (SHMR). However, the exploration of device applications based on these spin phenomena is often limited by the low charge-to-spin conversion efficiency of the HM. Authors of recent studies have suggested that topological insulators (TIs) are promising candidates for device applications due to their potentially higher charge-to-spin conversion efficiency. Here, we report a multifaceted study of a bilayer structure consisting of ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$ and ${\mathrm{Y}}_{3}{\mathrm{Fe}}_{5}\mathrm{O}$ (YIG) and demonstrate an approach based on angle-dependent magnetoresistance (ADMR) measurements to determine the effective charge-to-spin conversion efficiency in TIs. Our ferromagnetic resonance measurements demonstrate efficient spin pumping from YIG to ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$, which is further confirmed by detection of an electromotive force generated in ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$ via spin-to-charge conversion. Our ADMR measurements show that the interfacial spin diffusion can significantly affect the charge transport in a way like the SHMR effect and provide an estimate of the charge-to-spin conversion efficiency in ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$ of $\ensuremath{\sim}0.1--0.4$. Neglecting to account for the large out-of-plane magnetoresistance of the ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$ results in a fivefold overestimate of the charge-to-spin conversion efficiency.

Anisotropic upper critical field, Seebeck and Nernst coefficient of Nb0.20Bi2Se3 superconductor

We present the magneto-transport and the thermoelectric (Seebeck and Nernst coefficient) studies of the Nb-doped Bi2Se3 superconductor. The angle-dependent magnetoresistance study highlights the anisotropy of upper critical field (Hc 2) for in-plane and out-of-plane magnetic field orientation with the anisotropy parameter Γ ∼ 1.3. The estimated value of the carrier concentration (∼1019 cm−3) for Nb0.2Bi2Se3 is one order larger than for Bi2Se3. Doping of Nb shows a significant decrease in the Seebeck coefficient value and the estimated Fermi temperature of the three-dimensional Fermi surface at the centre of Brillouin zone in the zero-temperature limit enhances by ∼4 times in comparison to pristine Bi2Se3. We have observed a large value (∼2.3 µV K−1T−1) of Nernst coefficient for Bi2Se3 at room temperature, which decreases with Nb doping (∼0.5 µV K−1 T−1).

Anisotropic magnetoresistance and possible weak antilocalization in Mg3Bi2 single crystal

Kagome compound Mg3Bi2 has recently been proposed as a type-II nodal-line semimetal, which may exhibit novel transport phenomena. We grew Mg3Bi2 single crystals by a Bi flux method and systematically investigated the magneto-transport properties. A large transverse magnetoresistance anisotropy around 20 was observed for I // (00l) at 2 K under a magnetic field of 5 T. The gourd-shaped out-plane angle-dependent magnetoresistance indicates that the Fermi surface has a two-fold symmetry and strong anisotropy. The cusp-like magnetoresistance for I // (0kl) (k = integer, ) at low temperature and low magnetic field shows evidence of weak antilocalization. The magnetoconductance measured at different angle merges together when plotted as a function of at , showing that the domination of topological surface states when .