In-plane Magnetic Field Research Articles

Double Quantum Spin Hall Phase in Moiré WSe2.

Quantum spin Hall (QSH) insulators are topologically protected phases of matter in two dimensions that can support a pair of helical edge states surrounding an insulating bulk. A higher (even) number of helical edge state pairs is usually not possible in real materials because spin mixing would gap out the edge states. Here, we report experimental evidence for a QSH phase with one and two pairs of helical edge states in twisted bilayer WSe2 at Moiré hole filling factor ν = 2 and 4, respectively. We observe nearly quantized (within 10%) resistance plateaus of and large nonlocal transport at ν = 2 and 4 while the bulk is insulating. The resistance is independent of the out-of-plane magnetic field and increases under an in-plane magnetic field. The results agree with quantum transport of helical edge states in a material with high spin Chern bands protected by Ising spin conservation symmetry.

Field-driven conversion of two-dimensional solitonic magnetic textures

Magnetic skyrmions and bimerons, characterized by their topological properties and low current-induced motion, are promising magnetic textures for spintronic (skyrmionic) applications. In this work, through atomistic simulations and micromagnetic analysis, we investigate the field-driven manipulation and conversion of skyrmions into bimerons. By applying an in-plane magnetic field, we observe a smooth transition from skyrmions to bimerons, evidencing the persistence of the soliton topology over a wide range of external magnetic fields. Additionally, we obtain a state diagram elucidating the dependence of nucleated topological textures on material parameters and in-plane magnetic field strength.

Magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) and magnetic force microscopy (MFM) studies on Cr/Ni nanodot arrays deposited using innovative nano-stencil method

AbstractNanodot arrays of Nickel (Ni) on Chromium (Cr), [Cr in two forms i. e. (Cr dot) and Cr (layer)] were fabricated by electron beam evaporation technique using nano-stencil. The deposition of a periodic dot pattern was confirmed through atomic force microscopy (AFM) imaging. The nano magnetic properties of the Cr/Ni nanodot arrays were probed using both Magnetic Force Microscopy (MFM) and Magneto-Optical Kerr Effect (MOKE) magnetometer. MOKE measurements unveiled saturated hysteresis with the exchange bias effect for the in-plane configuration and a minor hysteresis loop for the out-of-plane configuration in the Cr/Ni nanodot system. The experimental results were found to be in good agreement with the theoretical Stoner-Wohlfarth (SW) model. Additionally, the exchange bias effect was also observed in the Cr (thin film)/Ni (nanodot) system for both the in-plane and out-of-plane configurations, showing the dominating behavior of the Cr layer over the Ni dots due to its continuous layer and higher thickness. The observation of exchange bias properties was also verified through MFM measurements conducted with both positive and negative in-plane magnetic fields. Hence, this straightforward nano-stencil method holds significant promise for the streamlined production of patterned AFM/FM arrays enabling the comprehensive study of exchange bias phenomena. The magnetic properties of the Cr/Ni structure can be manipulated by depositing Cr either in nanodot form or in continuous layer form.

Field-free spin–orbit torque magnetization switching in Pt/CoTb devices grown on flexible substrates for neuromorphic computing

Flexible spintronic devices based on spin–orbit torque (SOT)-induced perpendicular magnetization switching (PMS) have attracted increasing attention due to their high storage intensity and good programming capability. However, to achieve deterministic PMS, an in-plane auxiliary magnetic field is required, which greatly limits its application. Here, we show that “robust” magnetic field-free SOT-driven PMS is realized in the oblique sputtered Pt/CoTb multilayers grown on a flexible polyimide substrate. “Robust” means the magnetic field-free SOT switching is highly repeatable and stable after 100 bending cycles under various bending conditions. Additionally, the fabricated flexible multilayers exhibit nearly linear and nonvolatile multistate plasticity as synapses and a nonlinear sigmoid activation function when acting as neurons. We construct a fully connected neural network for handwritten digit recognition, achieving an over 96.27% recognition rate. Our findings may spur further investigations on the SOT-based flexible spintronic devices for wearable artificial intelligence applications.

Probing the Nature of Single-Photon Emitters in a WSe2 Monolayer by Magneto-Photoluminescence Spectroscopy.

Monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) have emerged as promising materials to generate single-photon emitters (SPEs). While there are several previous reports in the literature about TMD-based SPEs, the precise nature of the excitonic states involved in them is still under debate. Here, we use magneto-optical techniques under in-plane and out-of-plane magnetic fields to investigate the nature of SPEs in WSe2 monolayers on glass substrates under different strain profiles. Our results reveal important changes on the exciton localization and, consequently, on the optical properties of SPEs. Remarkably, we observe an anomalous PL energy redshift with no significant changes of photoluminescence (PL) intensity under an in-plane magnetic field. We present a model to explain this redshift based on intervalley defect excitons under a parallel magnetic field. Overall, our results offer important insights into the nature of SPEs in TMDs, which are valuable for future applications in quantum technologies.

Excitation of the Gyrotropic Mode in a Magnetic Vortex by Time-Varying Strain.

We demonstrate the excitation of the gyrotropic mode in a magnetostrictive vortex by time-varying strain. The vortex dynamics is driven by a time-varying voltage applied to the piezoelectric substrate and detected electrically by spin rectification at subthreshold values of rf current. When the frequency of the time-varying strain matches the gyrotropic frequency at a given in-plane magnetic field, the strain-induced in-plane magnetic anisotropy leads to a resonant excitation of the gyration dynamics in the magnetic vortex. We show that nonlinear gyrotropic dynamics can be excited already for moderate amplitudes of the time-varying strain.

Effects of Magnetostatic Interactions in FeNi-Based Multilayered Magnetoimpedance Elements.

Multilayered [Cu(3 nm)/FeNi(100 nm)]5/Cu(150 nm)/FeNi(10 nm)/Cu(150 nm)/FeNi(10 nm)/Cu(150 nm)/[Cu(3 nm)/FeNi(100 nm)]5 structures were obtained by using the magnetron sputtering technique in the external in-plane magnetic field. From these, multilayer magnetoimpedance elements were fabricated in the shape of elongated stripes using the lift-off lithographic process. In order to obtain maximum magnetoimpedance (MI) sensitivity with respect to the external magnetic field, the short side of the rectangular element was oriented along the direction of the technological magnetic field applied during the multilayered structure deposition. MI sensitivity was defined as the change of the total impedance or its real part per unit of the magnetic field. The design of the elements (multilayered structure, shape of the element, etc.) contributed to the dynamic and static magnetic properties. The magnetostatic properties of the MI elements, including analysis of the magnetic domain structure, indicated the crucial importance of magnetostatic interactions between FeNi magnetic layers in the analyzed [Cu(3 nm)/FeNi(100 nm)]5 multilayers. In addition, the uniformity of the magnetic parameters was defined by the advanced technique of the local measurements of the ferromagnetic resonance field. Dynamic methods allowed investigation of the elements at different thicknesses by varying the frequency of the electromagnetic excitation. The maximum sensitivity of 40%/Oe with respect to the applied field in the range of the fields of 3 Oe to 5 Oe is promising for different applications.

Spin-torque vortex-oscillator with modified saturation magnetization in ferromagnetic nanodots

Recent years have seen greater interest in manipulating vortex states in magnetic nanostructures for non-volatile memory and logic networks. We show how reducing saturation magnetization locally in ferromagnetic thick nanodot vortex-based spin-torque nano-oscillators modulates their frequency using micromagnetic simulations. When a spin-polarized current and a static in-plane magnetic field are applied to the vortex core of an isolated thick nanodot, the uniform gyrotropic modes and the first higher-order gyrotropic mode resonate at different frequencies in various saturation magnetization areas. The intensity of the first higher-order mode gets almost suppressed in areas with modified saturation magnetization. With linewidths ranging from 25 to 70 MHz with the considered dimensions, these small spin-torque vortex-oscillator devices made of thick Permalloy nanodots seem promising for use in gigahertz signal processing. Our study suggests that locally modifying saturation magnetization may be a cost-effective technique to build dense oscillator and array networks for neuromorphic computing without lithographical fabrication stages.

Temperature dependence of the electron quantum lifetime in InGaAs/GaAs double quantum well: Fukuyama-Abrahams mechanism

In the n-InGaAs/GaAs double quantum well, the suppression of resonant resistance by an in-plane magnetic field B ≤ 9 T in the temperature range T = (1.8–70) K is studied. The electron quantum lifetime, τq, is determined and the contributions of various scattering mechanisms to τq(T) are separated. It is shown that the observed nonmonotonic temperature dependence of the electron quantum lifetime is due to a combination of the interference contribution from the exchange electron-electron interaction in the ballistic regime and the inelastic electron-electron scattering in the diffusion regime (Fukuyama-Abrahams mechanism).

Oscillation spectra of surface resistance of low-dimensional organic conductors in a tilted magnetic field

The resonance spectrum of the surface resistance derivative in organic conductors has been calculated numerically for the out-of-plane and in-plane magnetic field orientation. Not all but some of the resonances in a given series of transitions are present in the spectra. They are observed as maxima in the surface resistance derivative curve. For tilted magnetic fields, apart from the resonances for transitions between the adjacent surface states, there also appear resonances corresponding to the transitions between more distant surface states. The calculations allow for the obtain of additional information on the surface properties for fabrication of devices based on organic molecular conductors.

Broadband rectification of microwave current in magnetic tunnel junctions with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

We experimentally studied the effect of broadband rectification of microwave current in magnetic tunnel junctions with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy with using the method of spin-transfer ferromagnetic resonance in a planar external magnetic field. It was found that the parameters of broadband rectification (frequency range, rectified voltage value and the region of existence of the ferromagnetic resonance mode) depend on the size of the sample and its shape. The maximum value of the rectified voltage was on a round elliptical sample of 100×150 nm. At the same time, the widest operating frequency range of approximately 2 GHz was observed on strongly elliptical MTJs with the size of 75×250 nm.

Anisotropy of hydrostatic stress for Hall droplets with in-plane magnetic field

Anisotropy of hydrostatic stress for Hall droplets with in-plane magnetic field

Toward 3D magnetic force microscopy: Simultaneous torsional cantilever excitation to access a second, orthogonal stray field component

Magnetic force microscopy (MFM) is long established as a powerful tool for probing the local stray fields of magnetic nanostructures across a range of temperatures and applied stimuli. A major drawback of the technique, however, is that the detection of stray fields emanating from a sample’s surface rely on a uniaxial vertical cantilever oscillation, and thus are only sensitive to vertically oriented stray field components. The last two decades have shown an ever-increasing literature fascination for exotic topological windings where particular attention to in-plane magnetic moment rotation is highly valuable when identifying and understanding such systems. Here, we present a method of detecting in-plane magnetic stray field components, by utilizing a split-electrode excitation piezo that allows the simultaneous excitation of a cantilever at its fundamental flexural and torsional modes. This allows for the joint acquisition of traditional vertical mode images and a lateral MFM where the tip–cantilever system is only sensitive to stray fields acting perpendicular to the torsional axis of the cantilever.

Unveiling the spin evolution in van der Waals antiferromagnets via magneto-exciton effects

Among the fascinating phenomena observed in two-dimensional (2D) magnets, the magneto-exciton effect stands out as a pivotal link between optics and magnetism. Although the excitonic effect has been revealed and exhibits a considerable correlation with the spin structures in certain 2D magnets, the underlying mechanism of the magneto-exciton effect remains underexplored, especially under high magnetic fields. Here we perform a systematic investigation of the spin-exciton coupling in 2D antiferromagnetic NiPS3 under high magnetic fields. When an in-plane magnetic field is applied, the exceptional sharp excitonic emission at ~1.4756 eV exhibits a Zeeman-like splitting with g ≈ 2.0, experimentally identifying the exciton as an excitation of dominant triplet-singlet character. By examining the polarization of excitonic emission and simulating the spin evolution, we further verify the correlation between excitonic emission and Néel vector in NiPS3. Our work elucidates the mechanism behind the spin-exciton coupling in NiPS3 and establishes a strategy for optically probing the spin evolutions in 2D magnets.

Incommensurate magnetic order in an axion insulator candidate EuIn2As2 investigated by NMR measurement

Magnetic topological insulators exhibit unique electronic states due to the interplay between the electronic topology and the spin structure. The antiferromagnetic metal EuIn2As2 is a prominent candidate material in which exotic topological phases, including an axion insulating state, are theoretically predicted depending on the magnetic structure of the Eu2+ moments. Here, we report experimental results of the nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) measurements of all the nuclei in EuIn2As2 to investigate the coupling between the magnetic moments in the Eu ions and the conduction electrons in In2As2 layers and the magnetic structure. The 75As and 115In NMR spectra observed at zero external magnetic fields reveal the appearance of internal fields of 4.9 and 3.6 T, respectively, at the lowest temperature, suggesting a strong coupling between the conduction electrons in the In2As2 layer and the ordered magnetic moments in the Eu ions. The 75As NMR spectra under in-plane external magnetic fields show broad distributions of the internal fields produced by an incommensurate fan-like spin structure which turns into a forced ferromagnetic state above 0.7 T. We propose a spin reorientation process that an incommensurate helical state at zero external magnetic field quickly changes into a fan state by applying a slight magnetic field.

Angle-Dependent In-Plane Magnetic Field Detection by MEMS Resonant Sensor

Angle-Dependent In-Plane Magnetic Field Detection by MEMS Resonant Sensor

Mixed higher-order topology, and nodal and nodeless flat band topological phases in a superconducting multiorbital model

We investigate the topological phases that appear in an orbital version of the Benalcazar-Bernevig-Hughes (BBH) model in the presence of conventional spin-singlet s-wave superconductivity and with the possibility of tuning an in-plane magnetic field. We chart out the phase diagram by considering different boundary conditions, with the topology of the individual phases further examined by considering both the Wannier and entanglement spectra, as well as the Majorana polarization. For weak to moderate values of magnetic field and superconducting pairing amplitude, we find a second-order topological superconductor phase with eight zero-energy corner modes. Further increasing field or pairing, half of the corner states can be turned into zero-energy edge-localized modes, thus forming what we name hybrid-order phase. Then, we find two different putative first-order topological phases, a nodal and a nodeless phase, both with zero-energy flat bands localized along mirror-symmetric open edges. For the nodal phase, the flat bands are, as expected, localized between the nodes in reciprocal space, while in the nodeless phase, the zero-energy boundary flat band instead spans the whole Brillouin zone and appears disjoint from the fully gapped bulk spectrum. As a consequence, this model present several unexpected phases with unusual surface states that can be tuned via an external magnetic field. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Observation of Moment-Dependent and Field-Driven Unidirectional Magnetoresistance in CoFeB/InSb/CdTe Heterostructures.

Magnetoresistance effects are crucial for understanding the charge-spin transport as well as propelling the advancement of spintronic applications. Here, we report the coexistence of magnetic-moment-dependent (MD) and magnetic-field-driven (FD) unidirectional magnetoresistance (UMR) effects in CoFeB/InSb/CdTe heterostructures. The strong spin-orbital coupling of InSb and the matched impedance at the CoFeB/InSb interface warrant a distinct MD-UMR effect at room temperature, while the interaction between the in-plane magnetic field and the Rashba effect at the InSb/CdTe interface induces the marked FD-UMR signal that dominates the high-field region. Moreover, owning to different spin scattering mechanisms, these two types of non-reciprocal charge transports show opposite polarities with respect to the magnetic field direction, which further enables an effective phase modulation of the angular-dependent magnetoresistance. The demonstration of the tunable UMR response validates our CoFeB/InSb/CdTe system as a suitable integrated building block for multifunctional spintronic memory and sensor designs.

Robust Field-Free Switching Using Large Unconventional Spin-Orbit Torque in an All-Van der Waals Heterostructure.

The emerging all-van der Waals (vdW) magnetic heterostructure provides a new platform to control the magnetization by the electric field beyond the traditional spintronics devices. One promising strategy is using unconventional spin-orbit torque (SOT) exerted by the out-of-plane polarized spin current to enable deterministic magnetization switching and enhance the switching efficiency. However, in all-vdW heterostructures, large unconventional SOT remains elusive and the robustness of the field-free switching against external magnetic field has not been examined, which hinders further applications. Here, the study demonstrates the field-free switching in an all-vdW heterostructure combining a type-II Weyl semimetal TaIrTe4 and above-room-temperature ferromagnet Fe3GaTe2. The fully field-free switching can be achieved at 2.56 × 1010 Am-2 at 300K and a large SOT effective field efficiency of the out-of-plane polarized spin current generated by TaIrTe4 is determined to be 0.37. Moreover, it is found that the switching polarity cannot be changed until the external in-plane magnetic field reaches 252mT, indicating a robust switching against the magnetic field. The numerical simulation suggests the large unconventional SOT reduces the switching current density and enhances the robustness of the switching. The work shows that all-vdW heterostructures are promising candidates for future highly efficient and stable SOT-based devices.

The role of interfacial Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction in different heavy metal-based perpendicular magnetic systems and its application in spintronic devices

The interfacial Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI) acting as an essential source to stabilize spin textures in ferromagnetic ultrathin films has revealed its significant role in spin–orbit torque (SOT)-driven magnetic switching. Based on a convincing homochiral Néel domain wall model, the in-plane (IP) magnetic field associated with the DMI effect has been confirmed as an essential prerequisite for deterministic SOT-driven switching. Although the presence of the IP field is required, the impact of IP field magnitude combined with the DMI effect on SOT-driven switching in different heavy metals (HMs) has never been considered together. In this research, SOT-induced switching under various IP fields in Pt, W, or Ta/CoFeB/MgO systems has been studied. The results show that the critical threshold current IC is almost independent of the IP field in the Pt-based structure; however, it significantly decreases with an increase in the IP field in the W- and Ta-based systems. Combining the derived DMI field and the magnetic domain nucleation, it is concluded that the significant difference in DMI fields and the domains' nucleating positions are the main reasons for the above phenomenon. Exploiting the distinct dependent properties of IC on the IP field, a six resistance state multilevel storage and five programmable spin logic gates are proposed and realized. This study provides insight into the special ability of the SOT effect modulated by the DMI, and also expands an effective way to construct spin-based devices based on this unique spintronic effect.