Antiferromagnetic Domain Structure Research Articles

Mechanisms of Electrical Switching of Ultrathin CoO/Pt Bilayers.

We study current-induced switching of the Néel vector in CoO/Pt bilayers to understand the underlying antiferromagnetic switching mechanism. Surprisingly, we find that for ultrathin CoO/Pt bilayers electrical pulses along the same path can lead to an increase or decrease of the spin Hall magnetoresistance signal, depending on the current density of the pulse. By comparing these results to XMLD-PEEM imaging of the antiferromagnetic domain structure before and after the application of current pulses, we reveal the details of the reorientation of the Néel vector in ultrathin CoO(4 nm). This allows us to understand how opposite resistance changes can result from a thermomagnetoelastic switching mechanism. Importantly, our spatially resolved imaging shows that regions where the current pulses are applied and regions further away exhibit different switched spin structures, which can be explained by a spin-orbit torque-based switching mechanism that can dominate in very thin films.

Infrared imaging of magnetic octupole domains in non-collinear antiferromagnets

ABSTRACT Magnetic structure plays a pivotal role in the functionality of antiferromagnets (AFMs), which not only can be employed to encode digital data but also yields novel phenomena. Despite its growing significance, visualizing the antiferromagnetic domain structure remains a challenge, particularly for non-collinear AFMs. Currently, the observation of magnetic domains in non-collinear antiferromagnetic materials is feasible only in Mn3Sn, underscoring the limitations of existing techniques that necessitate distinct methods for in-plane and out-of-plane magnetic domain imaging. In this study, we present a versatile method for imaging the antiferromagnetic domain structure in a series of non-collinear antiferromagnetic materials by utilizing the anomalous Ettingshausen effect (AEE), which resolves both the magnetic octupole moments parallel and perpendicular to the sample surface. Temperature modulation due to AEE originating from different magnetic domains is measured by lock-in thermography, revealing distinct behaviors of octupole domains in different antiferromagnets. This work delivers an efficient technique for the visualization of magnetic domains in non-collinear AFMs, which enables comprehensive study of the magnetization process at the microscopic level and paves the way for potential advancements in applications.

Magnetic and magnetoelastic properties of antiferromagnet FeGe2

The magnetic susceptibility χ of single-crystal antiferromagnet FeGe2 (TN = 289 K) was measured in the temperature range from 4.2 to 300 K in a magnetic field H up to 40 kOe applied along the main crystallographic axes. For the antiferromagnetic (AFM) state at low temperatures, a strong increase in χ is observed with increasing H applied along the [100] axis, which reaches saturation at H≥H0∼ 11 kOe. It is assumed that this behavior is associated with a field-induced change in the AFM domain structure, and the single-domain state is realized in a field above H0 with the AFM axis perpendicular to the field direction. The study of χ under the uniaxial Pa and uniform P pressures in a wide temperature range has revealed an anomalously large increase in χ in AFM state with increasing uniaxial pressure for Pa||H||[100] at H≪H0. The observed growth of χ saturates at pressure Pa≥Pa∗≃1.5 kbar and suggests the formation of the single-domain state for the above conditions. The values of uniform pressure effect on χ was found to lie in the range dln⁡χ/dP = − (2–3) Mbar–1, being weakly dependent on the magnetic state and field direction. In addition, the uniform pressure effect on the transition temperature between two AFM structures in FeGe2, TM≃263 K, was found to be weak.

Defect-driven antiferromagnetic domain walls in CuMnAs films

Efficient manipulation of antiferromagnetic (AF) domains and domain walls has opened up new avenues of research towards ultrafast, high-density spintronic devices. AF domain structures are known to be sensitive to magnetoelastic effects, but the microscopic interplay of crystalline defects, strain and magnetic ordering remains largely unknown. Here, we reveal, using photoemission electron microscopy combined with scanning X-ray diffraction imaging and micromagnetic simulations, that the AF domain structure in CuMnAs thin films is dominated by nanoscale structural twin defects. We demonstrate that microtwin defects, which develop across the entire thickness of the film and terminate on the surface as characteristic lines, determine the location and orientation of 180∘ and 90∘ domain walls. The results emphasize the crucial role of nanoscale crystalline defects in determining the AF domains and domain walls, and provide a route to optimizing device performance.

Interconversion of multiferroic domains and domain walls

Systems with long-range order like ferromagnetism or ferroelectricity exhibit uniform, yet differently oriented three-dimensional regions called domains that are separated by two-dimensional topological defects termed domain walls. A change of the ordered state across a domain wall can lead to local non-bulk physical properties such as enhanced conductance or the promotion of unusual phases. Although highly desirable, controlled transfer of these properties between the bulk and the spatially confined walls is usually not possible. Here, we demonstrate this crossover by confining multiferroic Dy0.7Tb0.3FeO3 domains into multiferroic domain walls at an identified location within a non-multiferroic environment. This process is fully reversible; an applied magnetic or electric field controls the transformation. Aside from expanding the concept of multiferroic order, such interconversion can be key to addressing antiferromagnetic domain structures and topological singularities.

An insulating doped antiferromagnet with low magnetic symmetry as a room temperature spin conduit

We report room-temperature long-distance spin transport of magnons in antiferromagnetic thin-film hematite doped with Zn. The additional dopants significantly alter the magnetic anisotropies, resulting in a complex equilibrium spin structure that is capable of efficiently transporting spin angular momentum at room temperature without the need for a well-defined, pure easy-axis or easy-plane anisotropy. We find intrinsic magnon spin-diffusion lengths of up to 1.5 μm, and magnetic domain governed decay lengths of 175 nm for the low-frequency magnons, through electrical transport measurements demonstrating that the introduction of nonmagnetic dopants does not strongly reduce the transport length scale, showing that the magnetic damping of hematite is not significantly increased. We observe a complex field dependence of the nonlocal signal independent of the magnetic state visible, in the local magnetoresistance and direct magnetic imaging of the antiferromagnetic domain structure. We explain our results in terms of a varying and applied field-dependent ellipticity of the magnon modes reaching the detector electrode allowing us to tune the spin transport.

Enhanced positive and negative exchange bias in FeF2/Ni with dusted interfaces

An enhanced exchange bias was found in FeF2/Ni interfaces by inserting dusting of Pd and Cu atoms. We have used an ultrathin wedge to investigate systematically the effect of a discontinuous nonmagnetic spacer between the antiferromagnetic and ferromagnetic layers. Negative and positive exchange biases are symmetric and maximized for less than two angstroms of the nonmagnetic layer. Moreover, the dusting reduces the field cooling threshold to switch between the negative and the positive exchange bias. This finding demonstrates that nonmagnetic dusted layers can improve the interfacial exchange energy density in antiferromagnetic/ferromagnetic heterostructures and modify the bulk antiferromagnetic domain structure. Other dusting materials such as Ag, Ti, V, and SiO2 showed no enhancement in FeF2/Ni bilayers, which indicates the atomic sensitivity of this effect.

Controlling antiferromagnetic domains in patterned La0.7Sr0.3FeO3 thin films

Transition metal oxide thin films and heterostructures are promising platforms to achieve full control of the antiferromagnetic (AFM) domain structure in patterned features as needed for AFM spintronic devices. In this work, soft x-ray photoemission electron microscopy was utilized to image AFM domains in micromagnets patterned into La0.7Sr0.3FeO3 (LSFO) thin films and La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO)/LSFO superlattices. A delicate balance exists between magnetocrystalline anisotropy, shape anisotropy, and exchange interactions such that the AFM domain structure can be controlled using parameters such as LSFO and LSMO layer thickness, micromagnet shape, and temperature. In LSFO thin films, shape anisotropy gains importance only in micromagnets where at least one extended edge is aligned parallel to an AFM easy axis. In contrast, in the limit of ultrathin LSFO layers in the LSMO/LSFO superlattice, shape anisotropy effects dominate such that the AFM spin axes at micromagnet edges can be aligned along any in-plane crystallographic direction.

Layer-resolved magnetic proximity effect in van der Waals heterostructures.

Magnetic proximity effects are integral to manipulating spintronic1,2, superconducting3,4, excitonic5 and topological phenomena6-8 in heterostructures. These effects are highly sensitive to the interfacial electronic properties, such as electron wavefunction overlap and band alignment. The recent emergence of magnetic two-dimensional materials opens new possibilities for exploring proximity effects in van der Waals heterostructures9-12. In particular, atomically thin CrI3 exhibits layered antiferromagnetism, in which adjacent ferromagnetic monolayers are antiferromagnetically coupled9. Here we report a layer-resolved magnetic proximity effect in heterostructures formed by monolayer WSe2 and bi/trilayer CrI3. By controlling the individual layer magnetization in CrI3 with a magnetic field, we show that the spin-dependent charge transfer between WSe2 and CrI3 is dominated by the interfacial CrI3 layer, while the proximity exchange field is highly sensitive to the layered magnetic structure as a whole. In combination with reflective magnetic circular dichroism measurements, these properties allow the use of monolayer WSe2 as a spatially sensitive magnetic sensor to map out layered antiferromagnetic domain structures at zero magnetic field as well as antiferromagnetic/ferromagnetic domains at finite magnetic fields. Our work reveals a way to control proximity effects and probe interfacial magnetic order via van der Waals engineering13.

Epitaxial growth, structural characterization, and exchange bias of noncollinear antiferromagnetic Mn3Ir thin films

Antiferromagnetic materials are of great interest for spintronics. Here we present a comprehensive study of the growth, structural characterization, and resulting magnetic properties of thin films of the noncollinear antiferromagnet $\mathrm{M}{\mathrm{n}}_{3}\mathrm{Ir}$. Using epitaxial engineering on MgO (001) and $\mathrm{A}{\mathrm{l}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ (0001) single-crystal substrates, we control the growth of cubic \ensuremath{\gamma}-$\mathrm{M}{\mathrm{n}}_{3}\mathrm{Ir}$ in both (001) and (111) crystal orientations, and discuss the optimization of growth conditions to achieve high-quality crystal structures with low surface roughness. Exchange bias is studied in bilayers, with exchange bias fields as large as \ensuremath{-}29 mT (equivalent to a unidirectional anisotropy constant of $0.115\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{erg}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{c}{\mathrm{m}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$ or $11.5\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nJ}\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{c}{\mathrm{m}}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$) measured in $\mathrm{M}{\mathrm{n}}_{3}\mathrm{Ir}$ (111)/Permalloy heterostructures at room temperature. In addition, a distinct dependence of blocking temperature on in-plane crystallographic direction in $\mathrm{M}{\mathrm{n}}_{3}\mathrm{Ir}$ (001)/Permalloy bilayers is observed. These findings are discussed in the context of antiferromagnetic domain structures, and will inform progress towards chiral antiferromagnetic spintronic devices.

Imaging of current induced Néel vector switching in antiferromagnetic Mn2Au

The effects of current induced N\'eel spin-orbit torques on the antiferromagnetic domain structure of epitaxial Mn$_2$Au thin films were investigated by X-ray magnetic linear dichroism - photoemission electron microscopy (XMLD-PEEM). We observed current induced switching of AFM domains essentially corresponding to morphological features of the samples. Reversible as well as irreversible N\'eel vector reorientation was obtained in different parts of the samples and the switching of up to 30 % of all domains in the field of view of 10 $\mu$m is demonstrated. Our direct microscopical observations are compared to and fully consistent with anisotropic magnetoresistance effects previously attributed to current induced N\'eel vector switching in Mn$_2$Au.

Imaging Current-Induced Switching of Antiferromagnetic Domains in CuMnAs.

The magnetic order in antiferromagnetic materials is hard to control with external magnetic fields. Using x-ray magnetic linear dichroism microscopy, we show that staggered effective fields generated by electrical current can induce modification of the antiferromagnetic domain structure in microdevices fabricated from a tetragonal CuMnAs thin film. A clear correlation between the average domain orientation and the anisotropy of the electrical resistance is demonstrated, with both showing reproducible switching in response to orthogonally applied current pulses. However, the behavior is inhomogeneous at the submicron level, highlighting the complex nature of the switching process in multidomain antiferromagnetic films.

Zigzag Domain Wall Mediated Reversal in Antiferromagnetically Coupled Layers

The Ruderman–Kittel–Kasuya–Yosida (RKKY) coupling between two magnetic layers leads to many important technological applications. Here, the interaction between changing antiferromagnetic RKKY coupling and domain structure is studied in a sample consisting of two 5 nm thick CoFeB layers separated by a wedge of Cu up to 4 nm thick. Magnetic reversal occurs via the propagation of a zigzag domain wall front along the wedge. The modification of domain patterns created in the reversal of a coupled layers in the presence of antiferromagnetic RKKY coupling and coupling gradients is demonstrated. Firstly, the coupling leads to a smaller amplitude of the zigzag wall, which is aligned perpendicular to the easy axis, followed by elongation of the walls at higher coupling strength. The antiferromagnetic RKKY coupling, while not strong enough to cause antiparallel alignment of the layers, is argued to lead to coupling between the spins in the domain walls in the two layers, lowering their energy and driving the reversal behavior of the film.

Gigantic directional asymmetry of luminescence in multiferroicCuB2O4

We report direction dependent luminescence (DDL), i.e., the asymmetry in the luminescence intensity between the opposite directions of the emission, in multiferroic CuB2O4. Although it is well known that the optical constants can change with the reversal of the propagation direction of light in multiferroic materials, the largest asymmetry in the luminescence intensity was 0.5 % so far. We have performed a measurement of photoluminescence with a He-Ne laser irradiation (633 nm). The luminescence intensity changes by about 70 % with the reversal of the magnetic field due to the interference between the electric dipole and magnetic dipole transitions. We also demonstrate the imaging of the canted antiferromagnetic domain structure of (Cu,Ni)B2O4 by using the large DDL.

Interplay between elasticity, ferroelectricity and magnetism at the domain walls of bismuth ferrite

Multiferroic domain walls have recently been proposed as the active element in devices related to spintronics, data storage, and magnetic logic. Among multiferroics, BiFeO3 is by far the most studied material. Its domain walls have shown rich behaviours that include conductivity in an otherwise insulating crystal, and magnetotransport properties that are markedly different from those of the bulk. In this article we summarize the experimental evidence and the current models used to understand the interplay between elastic, electric, and magnetic properties of the domain walls. Starting from the considera- tion of antiferromagnetic domain structures on a background of ferroelectric domains, and emphasizing pinning effects, we proceed to discuss the microscopic behavior of ferroelectricity and magnetism at the walls. We describe how domain organization in BiFeO3 is caused by structural transformations, and scrutinize modelling works pinpointing their characteristic features. Finally, we summarize the recent progress and list open questions for future study on BiFeO3 domain structures. (© 2016 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Magnetic skin layer of NiO(100) probed by polarization-dependent spectromicroscopy

Using polarization-dependent x-ray photoemission electron microscopy, we have investigated the surface effects on antiferromagnetic (AFM) domain formation. Depth-resolved information obtained from our study indicates the presence of strain-induced surface AFM domains on some of the cleaved NiO(100) crystals, which are unusually thinner than bulk AFM domain wall widths (∼150 nm). Existence of such magnetic skin layer is substantiated by exchange-coupled ferromagnetic Fe domains in Fe/NiO(100), thereby evidencing the influence of this surface AFM domains on interfacial magnetic coupling. Our observations demonstrate a depth evolution of AFM structure in presence of induced surface strain, while the surface symmetry-breaking in absence of induced strain does not modify the bulk AFM domain structure. Realization of such thin surface AFM layer will provide better microscopic understanding of the exchange bias phenomena.

Publisher’s Note: Antiferromagnetic domain structure in bilayer manganite [Phys. Rev. B88, 075134 (2013)

Publisher’s Note: Antiferromagnetic domain structure in bilayer manganite [Phys. Rev. B88, 075134 (2013)

Exchange bias effect in NiMnSb/CrN heterostructures deposited by magnetron sputtering

Exchange bias has been studied in various Ni50Mn36.8Sb13.2/CrN heterostructures with different CrN thicknesses (15 nm–80 nm), grown on Si (100) substrate using magnetron sputtering. The shift in hysteresis loop up to 51 Oe from the origin was observed at 10 K for Ni-Mn-Sb film without CrN layer. On the other hand, a significant shifting of hysteresis loop was observed with antiferromagnetic (AFM) CrN layer in Ni50Mn36.8Sb13.2/CrN heterostructure. The exchange coupled 140 nm Ni50Mn36.8Sb13.2/35 nm CrN heterostructure exhibited a relatively large exchange coupling field of 148 Oe at 10 K compared to other films, which may be related to uncompensated and pinned AFM spins at FM-AFM interface and different AFM domain structures for different thicknesses of CrN layer. Further nanoindentation measurements revealed the higher values of hardness and elastic modulus of about 12.7 ± 0.38 GPa and 179.83 ± 1.24 GPa in Ni50Mn36.8Sb13.2/CrN heterostructures making them promising candidate for various multifunctional MEMS devices.

The Influence of Magnetoelectric Interactions on the Domain Walls in Multiferroics

The influence of magnetoelectric interactions on the magnetic structure, flexomagnetoelectric polarization and magnetization in thin multiferroics film has been investigated. The correlation between antiferromagnetic domain structure and ferroelectric domain pattern has been revealed. It has been shown the asymmetry of the antiferromagnetic vector distribution over multiferroics film in the case of 1090 and 710 ferroelectric domain walls. The direction of spins rotation in magnetic domain walls is determined by the type of ferroelectric domains and the antiferromagnetic vector in the centre of ferroelectric domain. The peculiarities of the micromagnetic distribution are reflected in the behavior of polarization and magnetization, which appears to be different for 1800, 1090 and 710 ferroelectric domains.

Domain walls, magnetization, and magnetoelectric effect in bismuth ferrite films

The specific features of the antiferromagnetic domain structure, magnetization, and polarization induced by an inhomogeneous micromagnetic distribution in films of bismuth ferrite multiferroics have been investigated. It has been shown that the magnetic domain structure correlates with the ferroelectric domain structure, and the character of the rotation of the antiferromagnetic vector depends on the type of ferroelectric domain walls. An asymmetry in the distribution of the antiferromagnetic vector has been observed for the cases of 109° and 71° ferroelectric domain walls. It has been demonstrated that there are differences in the distributions of the polarization and magnetization in bismuth ferrite films with ferroelectric domains separated by 109° and 71° walls. The basic mechanisms responsible for the magnetization in domain walls in multiferroics have been considered.