Giant Spin Research Articles

Giant and negative magnetoresistances in conical magnets in the nonequilibrium Boltzmann equation approach

We study magnetotransport in conical helimagnet crystals using the nonequilibriun Boltzmann equation approach. Spin dependent magnetoresistance exhibits dramatic properties for high and low electron concentrations at different temperatures. For spin up electrons we find negative magnetoresistance despite only considering a single carrier type. For spin down electrons we observe giant magnetoresistance due to depletion of spin down electrons with an applied magnetic field. For spin up carriers, the magnetoresistance is negative, due to the increase in charge carriers with a magnetic field. In addition, we investigate the spin dependent Hall effect. If a magnetic field reaches some critical value for spin down electrons, giant Hall resistance occurs, i.e. Hall current vanishes. This effect is explained by the absence of spin down carriers. For spin up carriers, the Hall constant dramatically decreases with field, due to the increase in spin up electron density. Because of the giant spin dependent magnetoresistance and Hall resistivity, conical helimagnets could be useful in spin switching devices.

Unconventional exchange bias and enhanced spin pumping efficiency due to diluted magnetic oxide at the Co/ZnO interface

Exchange bias (EB) is normally created by the interfacial exchange coupling at a ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic (FM/AFM) interface. FM/AFM interfaces have also been proved to perform enhanced spin angular momentum transfer efficiency in spin pumping (SP), compared with typical FM/nonmagnetic interfaces. Here, we report an unexpected EB and enhanced SP between a ferromagnet and semiconductor. Considerable EB has been observed in Co films grown on ZnO single crystal due to the interface antiferromagnetism of the Zn1−xCoxO (x depends on the Co solubility limit in ZnO) layer. Moreover, SP measurements demonstrate a giant spin pumping efficiency at the Co/ZnO interface with a bump (spin mixing conductance Geff↑↓= 28 nm−2) around the blocking temperature TB ∼ 75 K. The enhanced SP is further confirmed by inverse spin Hall effect measurements and the spin Hall angle θISHE of Zn1−xCoxO is estimated to be 0.011. The bound magnetic polarons with s–d exchange interaction between donor electrons and magnetic cation ions in Zn1−xCoxO play a key role in the formation of antiferromagnetism with giant Geff↑↓. Our work provides a new insight into spin physics at FM/semiconducting interfaces.

Giant spin splitting and its origin in methylhydrazinium lead halide perovskites

Giant spin splitting and its origin in methylhydrazinium lead halide perovskites

Spin and orbital magnetism by light in rutile altermagnets

While the understanding of altermagnetism is still at a very early stage, it is expected to play a role in various fields of condensed matter research, for example spintronics, caloritronics and superconductivity. In the field of optical magnetism, it is still unclear to which extent altermagnets as a class can exhibit a distinct behavior. Here we choose RuO2, a prototype metallic altermagnet with a giant spin splitting, and CoF2, an experimentally known insulating altermagnet, to study the light-induced magnetism in rutile altermagnets from first-principles. We demonstrate that in the non-relativisic limit the allowed sublattice-resolved orbital response exhibits symmetries, imposed by altermagnetism, which lead to a drastic canting of light-induced moments. On the other hand, we find that inclusion of spin-orbit interaction enhances the overall effect drastically, introduces a significant anisotropy with respect to the light polarization and strongly suppresses the canting of induced moments. Remarkably, we observe that the moments induced by linearly-polarized laser pulses in light altermagnets can even exceed in magnitude those predicted for heavy ferromagnets exposed to circularly polarized light. By resorting to microscopic tools we interpret our results in terms of the altermagnetic spin splittings and of their reciprocal space distribution. Based on our findings, we speculate that optical excitations may provide a unique tool to switch and probe the magnetic state of rutile altermagnets.

Giant spin seebeck effect with highly polarized spin current generation and piezoelectricity in flexible V2SeTeO altermagnet at room temperature

Studies on altermagnetic materials are attracting extensive research efforts owing to their directional dependent spin split band structure. However, it is rare to find reports on the possibility of multifunctionality in altermagnetic systems. Here, we explore the spin dependent transport properties and piezoelectricity of two-dimensional V2SeTeO altermagnet. The V2SeTeO system has a direct band gap of 0.32 eV with a Neel temperature of 510 K. We find a giant effective Seebeck coefficient of 0.64 mV/K at 300 K. This is several times larger than that found in bulk and other two-dimensional materials. Moreover, the effective Seebeck effect is entirely determined by either only spin-up or spin-down component. This feature implies that we can generate highly spin polarized current by temperature gradient at room temperature. We attribute this pure spin current generation to the directional dependent spin split band structure. Along with the spin dependent transport properties, we also find that the Janus V2SeTeO altermagnet shows outstanding flexibility and piezoelectric response with out-of-plane piezoelectric coefficient of d31=0.245pm/V. Overall, we propose that the V2SeTeO altermagnet system exhibits multifunctional physical properties at room temperature, and this can be utilized for potential spintronics and flexible piezoelectric applications simultaneously.

Emergence of giant orbital Hall and tunable spin Hall effects in centrosymmetric transition metal dichalcogenides

Emergence of giant orbital Hall and tunable spin Hall effects in centrosymmetric transition metal dichalcogenides

Spin Hall effect in doped ferroelectric HfO2

The spin Hall effect (SHE) enables charge-to-spin conversion by electrical means and is promising for spintronic applications. Here, we report on the intrinsic spin Hall effect in the prototypical ferroelectric material HfO2 with charge doping using density functional theory calculations and theoretical analysis. We show that ferroelectric displacements are insensitive to charge doping and are sustained up to a large doping concentration of 0.4 electrons or holes per unit cell volume. In addition, the large spin Hall conductivity in the vicinity of the band edges is well preserved. Intriguingly, we demonstrate the giant spin Hall efficiency characterized by the sizable spin Hall angle of ∼0.1 in doped HfO2. These results add unexplored functionality to ferroelectric HfO2 and open opportunities for potential device applications.

Giant asymmetric proximity-induced spin–orbit coupling in twisted graphene/SnTe heterostructure

We analyze the spin–orbit coupling effects in a 3∘-degree twisted bilayer heterostructure made of graphene and an in-plane ferroelectric SnTe, with the goal of transferring the spin–orbit coupling from SnTe to graphene, via the proximity effect. Our results indicate that the point-symmetry breaking due to the incompatible mutual symmetry of the twisted monolayers and a strong hybridization has a massive impact on the spin splitting in graphene close to the Dirac point, with the spin splitting values greater than 20 meV. The band structure and spin expectation values of graphene close to the Dirac point can be described using a symmetry-free model, triggering different types of interaction with respect to the threefold symmetric graphene/transition-metal dichalcogenide heterostructure. We show that the strong hybridization of the Dirac cone’s right movers with the SnTe band gives rise to a large asymmetric spin splitting in the momentum space. Furthermore, we discover that the ferroelectricity-induced Rashba spin–orbit coupling in graphene is the dominant contribution to the overall Rashba field, with the effective in-plane electric field that is almost aligned with the (in-plane) ferroelectricity direction of the SnTe monolayer. We also predict an anisotropy of the in-plane spin relaxation rates. Our results demonstrate that the group-IV monochalcogenides MX (M = Sn, Ge; X = S, Se, Te) are a viable alternative to transition-metal dichalcogenides for inducing strong spin–orbit coupling in graphene.

Giant and nonreciprocal photonic spin hall effect in asymmetric multilayered structure with bulk dirac semimetal

Abstract The nonreciprocal photonic spin Hall effect features the different reflected or transmitted spin shifts along two opposite incident wave propagating directions. However, previous investigations have always focused on the features of the photonic spin Hall effect along one incident wave propagating direction. How to achieve the nonreciprocal photonic spin Hall effect remains obscure. Here, we theoretically study the nonreciprocal photonic spin Hall effect in the asymmetric multilayered structure containing the Bulk Dirac Semimetal and other dielectric materials. It is found that under the horizontal polarization the maximum reflected spin shift value along one direction is up to around times of the incident wavelength at , but it is only times of the incident wavelength at along the other direction, which reflects the nonreciprocity of photonic spin Hall effect and thus can act as the photonic spin Hall diode. Such a sizeable directional difference between the reflected spin shifts along these two opposite directions originates from the fact that this structure loses its mirror symmetry and becomes an asymmetrical one, and the obvious difference in the values of the reflected spin shifts along the two directions can be attributed to the large difference in the values of . At the same time, we find that the Fermi energy of the Bulk Dirac Semimetal can effectively tune the spin shift along the backward direction, as well as the difference between the spin shifts for two different propagating directions, which causes the controllable nonreciprocal photonic spin Hall effect. Our results establish the alternative configuration for realizing the nonreciprocal photonic spin Hall effect, which facilitates the potential applications in the spin photonic devices.

Emergent Quantum Phenomena of a Noncentrosymmetric Charge Density Wave in 1T-Transition Metal Dichalcogenides.

1T-transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have been an exciting platform for exploring the intertwinement of charge density waves and strong correlation phenomena. While the David star structure has been conventionally considered as the underlying charge order in the literature, recent scanning tunneling probe experiments on several monolayer 1T-TMD materials have motivated a new, alternative structure, namely, the anion-centered David star structure. In this Letter, we show that this novel anion-centered David star structure manifestly breaks inversion symmetry, resulting in flat bands with pronounced Rashba spin-orbit couplings. These distinctive features unlock novel possibilities and functionalities for 1T-TMDs, including the giant spin Hall effect, the emergence of Chern bands, and spin liquid that spontaneously breaks crystalline rotational symmetry. Our findings establish promising avenues for exploring emerging quantum phenomena of monolayer 1T-TMDs with this novel noncentrosymmetric structure.

Robust chiral spin transport in the antiferromagnetic iron oxide/heavy metal bilayers

We have observed robust chiral spin torques and non-reciprocal charge transport behaviors in the α-Fe2O3/Pt bilayers through a combination of magnetic field and current-dependent second longitudinal harmonic resistance measurements. The interfacial Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction induced magnetic chirality has been predicted to account for the sign reversal characteristic of the second longitudinal harmonic resistance with increasing the current amplitude. A physical model that considers the chirality dependence of both the asymmetric scattering and the giant Rashba spin–orbit coupling has been set up to uncover the microscopic interactions between charge, spin, and magnetic chirality. Our comprehensive approach leverages the semiclassical Boltzmann theory to validate the consistency between this model and our experimental findings. Through our investigation, we have established the pivotal role of interfacial magnetic chirality in determining both charge and spin transport behaviors within antiferromagnetic insulator/heavy metal bilayer systems. Our work not only enhances the comprehension of spin–orbit torques and non-reciprocal charge transport but also contributes to the broader understanding of these phenomena. The outcomes of this study have broader implications for the advancement of spintronics and related fields.

Generic model with unconventional Rashba bands and giant spin galvanic effect

Generic model with unconventional Rashba bands and giant spin galvanic effect

Magnetic switching driven by spin–orbit torque in topological-insulator-based (Bi0.5Sb0.5)2Te3/Ta/CoFe/Cu/CoFe/IrMn heterostructure

The giant spin–orbit torque (SOT) generated by topological surface states in topological insulators (TIs) provides an energy-efficient writing method for magnetic memory. In this study, we demonstrate a topological insulator/spin valve (TI/SV) device that operates at room temperature. An ultrathin, high-quality TI (Bi0.5Sb0.5)2Te3 (BST) thin film is epitaxially grown as a functional layer on a (0001)-Al2O3 substrate via molecular beam epitaxy in ultrahigh vacuum. Subsequently, Ta/CoFe/Cu/CoFe/IrMn layers are grown on BST/Al2O3 thin films using magnetron sputtering to form TI/SV devices via a subsequent standard lithography process. The resulting TI/SV devices exhibit a giant magnetoresistance of up to ∼1.1% at room temperature. Additionally, a low switching current density of approximately 1.25 × 105 A cm−2 is achieved, which implies high potential for further reducing the energy consumption of SOT-based devices. The SOT conversion efficiency and charge-spin conversion efficiency of the TI layer are approximately 4.74 × 10−6 Oe A−1 cm2 and 1.33, respectively, as extracted from the SOT-induced shift of the magnetic switching field. Moreover, the switching current density reduces steadily with the device size scaling down. This study can facilitate the realization of energy-efficient magnetic memory devices in the future.

Giant magnetoimpedance effect and spin accumulation in conjugated polymeric networks with inhomogeneity

The magnetoimpedance effect allows us to estimate the extent of spin dependent scattering in disordered solids. The change in impedance with respect to applied magnetic field manifests through local change in permeability on the surface and it amplifies at defect sites. The local electrical inhomogeneities are expected to aid this effect through spin dependent scattering. The organic conjugated electrical networks provide scope for producing such inhomogeneities formed by path defects and protonic charge accumulation leading to spin dependent scattering. This hypothesis is investigated in the present work taking polyaniline as a prototype network. The electrical inhomogeneities in the network were controlled by selective oxidation and aging in polyaniline. The Giant Magnetoimpedance (GMI) was observed in the electrically inhomogeneous network with the change in electrical impedance of the order of 50%–60% for lower frequencies with prominent capacitive coupling and a change of the order of 200% at higher frequencies with prominent inductive coupling with the application of magnetic field. However, no spin accumulation was observed in the insulating networks formed by a modified oxidative process. This study is expected to serve as a tool to develop frequency selective spin accumulation based magnetic field sensors and oscillator networks.

Highly efficient spin-orbit torque generation in bilayer WTe2/Fe3GaTe2 heterostructure

The spin-orbit torque (SOT) phenomenon is crucial for advancing spintronics. Therefore, we explore the SOT efficiency in the WTe2/Fe3GaTe2 heterostructure. The WTe2/Fe3GaTe2 heterostructure has a ferromagnetic ground state with a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Through the Metropolis Monte Carlo simulations, we find that the WTe2/Fe3GaTe2 heterostructure has a Curie temperature of 345 K. We also calculate the temperature-dependent coercive field HC(T) via the extended Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert (LLG) equation, and the estimated coercive field is 0.32 T at 300 K. From the electrical and spin Hall conductivity of the WTe2 layer, we obtain a giant spin Hall angle of ∼4 is obtained at a low chemical potential. Besides, the WTe2/Fe3GaTe2 heterostructure exhibits a critical current density of ∼7.40 × 104 A/cm2 at 300 K. This value is superior to that found in most previously reported materials. Finally, we achieve the switching power consumption of approximately 1.80 × 1015 W/m3 at 300 K, and this is comparable to or even lower than the values found in other bulk type or thick thickness SOT materials. Due to this highly efficient SOT performance, the ultrathin WTe2/Fe3GaTe2 heterostructure may offer a promising avenue for advanced room temperature spintronic applications with implications for both fundamental research and technological advancements.

Hybridized magnonic materials for THz frequency applications

The capability of magnons to hybridize and strongly couple with diverse excitations offers a promising avenue for realizing and controlling emergent properties that hold significant potential for applications in devices, circuits, and information processing. In this Letter, we present recent theoretical and experimental developments in magnon-based hybrid systems, focusing on the combination of magnon excitation in an antiferromagnet with other excitations, namely, plasmons in a topological insulator, phonons in a 2D antiferromagnetic (2D AFM), and photons. The existence of THz frequency magnons, plasmons, and phonons makes magnon-based hybrid systems particularly appealing for high-operating-speed devices. In this context, we explore several directions to advance magnon hybrid systems, including strong coupling between a surface plasmon and magnon polariton in a topological insulator /AFM bilayer, a giant spin Nernst effect induced by magnon–phonon coupling in 2D AFMs, and control of magnon–photon coupling using spin torque.

Induced out-of-plane piezoelectricity and giant Rashba spin splitting in Janus WSiZ3H (Z = N, P, As) monolayers toward next-generation electronic devices

Two-dimensional (2D) piezoelectric nanomaterials have widely been studied recently due to their promise for various applications in technology. Investigation of vertical piezoelectricity will contribute to a deeper understanding of the intrinsic mechanism of piezoelectric effects in the 2D structures. In this paper, we report a first-principle study for the structural, electronic, piezoelectric, and transport properties of new-designed Janus WSiZ3H (Z= N, P, and As) monolayers. The structural stability of WSiZ3H is theoretically confirmed based on the energetic, phonon dispersion, and also elastic analyses. At the ground state, while WSiN3H is an indirect semiconductor, both WSiP3H and WSiAs3H are predicted to be direct semiconductors with smaller bandgaps. When the spin-orbit coupling effects are taken into account, a large valley spin splitting is observed at the K point of WSiZ3H materials. Interestingly, a giant Rashba spin splitting is found in WSiP3H and WSiAs3H with Rashba constant αR up to 770.91 meV Å. Additionally, our first-principles study indicates that Janus WSiZ3H monolayers are piezoelectric semiconductors with high out-of-plane piezoelectric coefficient |d31|, up to 0.15 pm/V, due to the broken mirror symmetry. Besides, with high electron mobilities and also possessing direct band gaps, WSiP3H and WSiAs3H monolayers are favorable for applications in optoelectronics.

Giant and tunable photonic spin Hall effect in a parity-time symmetric structure with a Dirac semimetal material

The optical parity-time (PT) symmetry structure can yield unique properties, including periodicity, discreteness, nonlinearity, and so on. However, the component materials in these PT symmetry structures have been primarily restricted by their lack of tunability. Here, by utilizing the external stimulus-dependent optical properties of the Dirac semimetal, we report the theoretical prediction of the large and controllable photonic spin Hall effect in the PT symmetry structure with the slab of the Dirac semimetal. We provide evidence that the PT symmetry structure with the Dirac semimetal exhibits a large spin shift as high as the half of the waist at a certain incident angle, which is the conventionally theoretical upper limit. Due to the exceptional points, the spin shift can be enhanced effectively. Furthermore, we unravel that a small change in the Fermi energy of the Dirac semimetal on the order of 0.01 eV is able to engineer both the magnitude and sign of the spin shift. In particular, there is a transition in the spectrum of the spin shift when we vary the Fermi energy of the Dirac semimetal, where the number of the spin shift peak changes from one to two. Our results reveal the interplay between the light and the PT symmetry structure with the Dirac semimetal, which offers the possibility of developing Dirac semimetal-based spin-dependent photonic devices.

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 new devices in which spin-polarized current is generated and manipulated1-3. Recent attention on a set of previously overlooked symmetry operations in magnetic materials4 leads to the emergence of a new type of spin splitting, enabling giant and momentum-dependent spin polarization of energy bands on selected antiferromagnets5-10. 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 manganese ditelluride (MnTe2), 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, originates from the intrinsic AFM order instead of spin-orbit coupling (SOC). 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.

Wave-Guided Surface Plasmonic Resonance Induced Giant and Tunable Photonic Spin Hall Effect with Polarization Mode Control

Wave-Guided Surface Plasmonic Resonance Induced Giant and Tunable Photonic Spin Hall Effect with Polarization Mode Control