Intermediate Magnetic State Research Articles

Manipulation of the Magnetic State of a Porphyrin-Based Molecule on Gold: From Kondo to Quantum Nanomagnet via the Charge Fluctuation Regime.

By moving individual Fe-porphyrin-based molecules with the tip of a scanning tunneling microscope in the vicinity of the elbow of the herringbone-reconstructed Au(111) containing a Br atom, we reversibly and continuously control their magnetic state. Several regimes are obtained experimentally and explored theoretically: from the integer spin limit, through intermediate magnetic states with renormalized magnetic anisotropy, until the Kondo-screened regime, corresponding to a progressive increase of charge fluctuations and mixed valency due to an increase in the interaction of the molecular Fe states with the substrate Fermi sea. Our study demonstrates the potential of utilizing charge fluctuations to generate and tune quantum magnetic states in molecule-surface hybrids.

Magnetic Behavior of the Arrays of Iron Cylindrical Nanostructures: Atomistic Spin Model Simulations

Cylindrical ferromagnetic nanowires are of particular interest in nanomaterials science due to various manufacturing methods and a wide range of applications in nanotechnology, with special attention given to those with diameters less than the single domain limit. In the current study, the simulations of magnetic properties of isolated iron nanowires with a diameter of 5 nm and various aspect ratios, as well as two types of arrays of such nanowires (with hexagonal and square arrangement), were performed using atomistic spin model. In the case of a single nanowire, change of coercive field for different applied field directions with aspect ratio was discussed. It was shown that the evolution of the magnetization reversal mechanism from coherent rotation to domain wall propagation appears with increasing length of single nanowire. For the arrays of cylindrical nanostructures, it was revealed that different number of nearest neighbors for each nanostructure in square and hexagonal arrays have an influence on their magnetostatic interactions, which are the most significant for shortest interwire distances. The corresponding spin configurations during the remagnetization process showed the appearance of intermediate magnetization states (when a part of wires is magnetized parallel and part antiparallel to the field direction), connected with Barkhausen effect, which influence the observed hysteresis curves.

Multiferroic antiferromagnetic artificial synapse

Artificial intelligence frameworks utilizing unsupervised learning techniques can avoid the bottleneck of labeled training data required in supervised machine learning systems, but the programming time of these systems is inherently limited by their hardware implementations. Here, a finite-element model coupling micromagnetics and dynamic strain is used to investigate a multiferroic antiferromagnet as a high-speed artificial synapse in artificial intelligence applications. The stability of strain-induced intermediate antiferromagnetic magnetization states (non-uniform magnetization states between a uniform 0 or 1), along with the minimum time scale at which these states can be programmed is investigated. Results show that due to the antiferromagnetic material's magnetocrystalline anisotropy, two intermediate states (Néel vector 1/3z, 2/3x, and Néel vector 2/3z, 1/3x) between fully x and fully z Néel vector orientations can be successfully programmed using 375 με strain pulses, and that the time associated with this programming is limited to ∼0.3 ns by the material's antiferromagnetic resonance frequency.

Topological Crystalline Insulator Candidate ErAsS with Hourglass Fermion and Magnetic‐Tuned Topological Phase Transition

Topological crystalline insulators (TCIs) with hourglass fermion surface state have attracted a lot of attention and are further enriched by crystalline symmetries and magnetic order. Here, the emergence of hourglass fermion surface state and exotic phases in the newly discovered, air-stable ErAsS single crystals are shown. In the paramagnetic phase, ErAsS is expected to be a TCI with hourglass fermion surface state protected by the nonsymmorphic symmetry. Dirac-cone-like bands and nearly linear dispersions in large energy range are experimentally observed, consistent well with theoretical calculations. Below TN ≈ 3.27 K, ErAsS enters a collinear antiferromagnetic state, which is a trivial insulator breaking the time-reversal symmetry. An intermediate incommensurate magnetic state appears in a narrow temperature range (3.27-3.65 K), exhibiting an abrupt change in magnetic coupling. The results reveal that ErAsS is an experimentally available TCI candidate and provide a unique platform to understand the formation of hourglass fermion surface state and explore magnetic-tuned topological phase transitions.

Spin-Orbit Torque-Induced Domain Nucleation for Neuromorphic Computing.

Neuromorphic computing has become an increasingly popular approach for artificial intelligence because it can perform cognitive tasks more efficiently than conventional computers. However, it remains challenging to develop dedicated hardware for artificial neural networks. Here, a simple bilayer spintronic device for hardware implementation of neuromorphic computing is demonstrated. In L11 -CuPt/CoPt bilayer, current-inducted field-free magnetization switching by symmetry-dependent spin-orbit torques shows a unique domain nucleation-dominated magnetization reversal, which is not accessible in conventional bilayers. Gradual domain nucleation creates multiple intermediate magnetization states which form the basis of a sigmoidal neuron. Using the L11 -CuPt/CoPt bilayer as a sigmoidal neuron, the training of a deep learning network to recognize written digits, with a high recognition rate (87.5%) comparable to simulation (87.8%) is further demonstrated. This work offers a new scheme of implementing artificial neural networks by magnetic domain nucleation.

Anisotropic quantum critical point in the Ce3Al system with a large magnetic anisotropy

A magnetic field driven quantum critical point (QCP) is studied experimentally in the Ce3Al magnetically anisotropic intermetallic compound, which shows both antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering and heavy–fermion behavior. Measurements of the magnetic susceptibility, the magnetoresistance and the specific heat on a Ce3Al monocrystalline sample performed down to 0.35 K in magnetic fields up to 9 T demonstrate that the QCP is anisotropic regarding the orientation of the magnetic field relative to the magnetically easy direction. External magnetic field drives the AFM transition continuously toward zero temperature when applied in the (a, b) easy plane, reaching the QCP at the critical field 4.6 ± 0.4 T, where a quantum phase transition from the AFM to the paramagnetic state takes place. The magnetoresistance experiments below 1 K indicate that intermediate magnetic states may have formed near the QCP. For the field applied along the c hard direction, the QCP has not been observed within our experimental range of the magnetic field. The anisotropic, magnetic field driven QCP in the Ce3Al results from competition of the exchange interaction with the Zeeman interaction in the presence of a large magnetocrystalline anisotropy. The anisotropy of the QCP is a consequence of the fact that the magnetic anisotropy locks the magnetization into the easy plane and cannot be pulled out of the plane by the available laboratory field. Consequently, only the component of the magnetic field vector that lies in the easy plane participates in the QCP formation. In AFM systems with a large magnetic anisotropy, the magnetic field driven QCP is a continuous variable of the magnetic field vector orientation relative to the easy direction.

Long-Range Magnetic Order in Oxide Quantum Wells Hosting Two-Dimensional Electron Gases.

To incorporate spintronics functionalities into two-dimensional devices, it is strongly desired to get two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) with high spin polarization. Unfortunately, the magnetic characteristics of the typical 2DEG at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface are very weak due to the nonmagnetic character of SrTiO3 and LaAlO3. While most of the previous works focused on perovskite oxides, here, we extended the exploration for magnetic 2DEG beyond the scope of perovskite combinations, composing 2DEG with SrTiO3 and NaCl-structured EuO that owns a large saturation magnetization and a fairly high Curie temperature. We obtained the 2DEGs that show long-range magnetic order and thus unusual behaviors marked by isotropic butterfly shaped magnetoresistance and remarkable anomalous Hall effect. We found evidence for the presence of more conductive domain walls than elsewhere in the oxide layer where the 2DEG resides. More than that, a relation between interfacial magnetism and carrier density is established. On this basis, the intermediate magnetic states between short-range and long-range ordered states can be achieved. The present work provides guidance for the design of high-performance magnetic 2DEGs.

Realizing both short- and long-term memory within a single magnetic tunnel junction based synapse

Synaptic plasticity forms the basis of memory retention in the human brain. Whereas a low “rehearsal” rate causes short-term changes in the synaptic connections such that the synapse soon “forgets,” a high rehearsal rate ensures long-term retention of memory in the brain. In this paper, we propose an artificial short- and long-term memory magnetic tunnel junction (SALT-MTJ) synapse. Changes in the synaptic strength are mapped to the SALT-MTJ conductance, which is varied stochastically via spin-transfer torque resulting from input current stimuli. A meta-stable intermediate magnetic state of the SALT-MTJ synapse provides short-term synaptic plasticity and the associated forgetting behavior as in a biological synapse. Repeated spin-current stimulations, while the SALT-MTJ remains in the short-term state, then can cause a near-permanent change in the magnetic state and associated conductance to provide long-term potentiation. The synaptic weight sensitivity to the input stimulus and the forgetting behavior of these short- and long-term states can be controlled via shape engineering of the artificial synapse.

Antiferromagnetic states of BiFeO3 single crystal multiferroic in external magnetic field

Room-temperature multiferroics take special attention due to possibilities for applications in technology, but they are also interesting from fundamental point of view. Bismuth ferrite is the most studied multiferroic demonstrating high ordering temperatures and fascinating properties in thin films and could be used as a functional element in magnetoelectric memory. For better utilization of bismuth ferrite in spintronic devices the detailed understanding of its properties is of great importance. In this work we apply the developed thermodynamic model for description of magnetic states and magnetic field driven transformation of magnetic structure of single crystal BiFeO3. Presence of magnetic field may lead to a situation, when the transition from inhomogeneous magnetic state having cycloidal structure into homogeneous state proceeds through emergence of intermediate magnetic state with conical-like structure. Magnetic field transitions emerging under influence of magnetic field should somehow lead to alternation of magnetization. For revealing this influence the magnetization curves were calculated for three directions of magnetic field and the comparison with experimental results was carried out. Good agreement with experimental curves allows us to say, that peculiarities of magnetization curves may be caused by the emergence of intermediate conical state.

Evolution of magnetic vortex formation in micron-sized disks

Automotive magnetic field sensing applications require a robust sensing concept. One way to meet the corresponding sensor requirements, such as a negligible hysteresis and a large linear working range, is to employ the vortex state. Consequently, the nucleation field Hn of the vortex state becomes a highly important sensor parameter. In this study, we examine different factors that affect Hn. Tunneling magnetoresistance spin-valve sensors with disk-shaped CoFeB free layers, which energetically favor the nucleation of the vortex state, are electrically characterized and compared with micromagnetic simulations. Phase transitions into intermediate magnetic states, such as various buckling states, the S-state, or the double vortex state, are extracted from hysteresis loops. The resulting phase diagrams show that the formation of the S-state only occurs below a thickness of approximately 25 nm, whereas the double vortex state nucleates frequently only above approximately 35 nm. Both the S- and double vortex states lower the nucleation field of the single vortex state compared to higher order buckling states. Understanding both the origin and the influence of the intermediate phases opens the way to designing a robust and reliable vortex sensor concept.

Intermediate magnetization state and competing orders in Dy2Ti2O7 and Ho2Ti2O7.

Among the frustrated magnetic materials, spin-ice stands out as a particularly interesting system. Residual entropy, freezing and glassiness, Kasteleyn transitions and fractionalization of excitations in three dimensions all stem from a simple classical Hamiltonian. But is the usual spin-ice Hamiltonian a correct description of the experimental systems? Here we address this issue by measuring magnetic susceptibility in the two most studied spin-ice compounds, Dy2Ti2O7 and Ho2Ti2O7, using a vector magnet. Using these results, and guided by a theoretical analysis of possible distortions to the pyrochlore lattice, we construct an effective Hamiltonian and explore it using Monte Carlo simulations. We show how this Hamiltonian reproduces the experimental results, including the formation of a phase of intermediate polarization, and gives important information about the possible ground state of real spin-ice systems. Our work suggests an unusual situation in which distortions might contribute to the preservation rather than relief of the effects of frustration.

Mn3TeO6- a new multiferroic material with two magnetic substructures

From magnetic susceptibility, dielectric permittivity, electric polarization and specific heat measurements, we discover spin-induced ferroelectricity and magnetoelectric coupling in Mn3TeO6 and observe two successive magnetic transitions at low temperatures. A non-ferroelectric intermediate magnetic state occurs below 23 K and a multiferroic ground state emerges below 21 K. Moreover, Mn3TeO6 is a candidate for a multiferroic material where two types of incommensurate spin structures, cycloidal and helical, coexist. Theoretically, both spin substructures may contribute to the macro electric polarization via different mechanisms.

Modified analytical method for evaluation of unpatterned double-barrier magnetic tunnel junctions

A current-in-plane tunneling measurement is a superb solution for evaluating a magnetic tunnel junction's properties because it does not require the series of patterning processes in a clean room that have frustrated many researchers because of the damage and side effects frequently induced by these processes. We found that previously proposed current-in-plane tunneling analysis for double-barrier magnetic tunnel junctions (DMTJs) accurately predicts their electrical properties but often fails to provide other detailed properties of DMTJs. Here, we propose and demonstrate a modified analytic method that can provide an excellent estimate of the electrical and magnetic properties of DMTJs by considering the intermediate magnetization state between parallel and antiparallel states, which has previously been ignored. We found that considering this intermediate state is necessary and sufficient for evaluating the tunneling properties. We also prove that our method is valid even for DMTJs with two identical barriers and even without knowledge of any of the initial properties of their layers, a challenging task for previous methods. We believe that our analytic method yields the correct results when evaluating the properties of DMTJs and will be particularly useful for those who cannot access the well-maintained clean-room facilities needed to make tunnel patterns.

Ultrafast switching of the electric polarization and magnetic chirality in BiFeO3 by an electric field.

Using a first-principles-based effective Hamiltonian within molecular dynamics simulations, we discover that applying an electric field that is opposite to the initial direction of the polarization results in a switching of both the polarization and the magnetic chirality vector of multiferroic BiFeO3 at an ultrafast pace (namely, of the order of picoseconds). We discuss the origin of such a double ultrafast switching, which is found to involve original intermediate magnetic states and may hold promise for designing various devices.

First-order ferroelastic transition in a magnetoelectric multiferroic: CuCrO2

We present the magnetic phase diagram of the multiferroic geometrically frustrated antiferromagnet CuCrO${}_{2}$ determined using dielectric constant and ultrasonic velocity measurements with the magnetic field parallel to the $[1\overline{1}0]$ direction. According to these measurements, at zero field the magnetoelectric phase induced by a proper screw magnetic ordering is observed below ${T}_{N1}=23.4$ K, while the velocity measurements reveal another transition at ${T}_{N2}=24.3$ K. As the dielectric and velocity measurements were performed simultaneously, our results confirm the presence of an intermediate nonferroelectric magnetic state between the magnetoelectric and paramagnetic phases. Moreover, our observations indicate that this intermediate phase persists up to 7 T for a field applied along the $[1\overline{1}0]$ direction. Based on similar observations obtained on the multiferric compounds CuO and MnWO${}_{4}$, this intermediate state is most likely a collinear antiferromagnetic phase. Apart from two phases observed at zero field, the ultrasonic velocity measured in the magnetoelectric phase as a function of the magnetic field reveals a spin-flop transition at ${H}_{\mathrm{flop}}=5$ T at 23 K, which is attributed to the flop of the spin spiral from the (110) plane to the $(1\overline{1}0)$ plane. In this paper, we also present a detailed analysis of the elastic properties of CuCrO${}_{2}$. The analysis of the data using a Landau-type free energy indicates that CuCrO${}_{2}$ undergoes a first-order pseudoproper ferroelastic transition leading to a $\overline{3}m\ensuremath{\rightharpoonup}2/m$ structural transition at ${T}_{N2}$. According to the model, the order parameter of the ferroelastic-antiferromagnetic transition at ${T}_{N2}$ belongs to the ${E}_{g}$ irreducible representation of the trigonal $\overline{3}m$ point group, and the magnetic moments must act as a secondary order parameter.

Pressure dependence of Morin transition in α-Fe2O3 hematite

We report high-pressure neutron diffraction data on the Morin-transition TM in α-Fe2O3 hematite, up to 8 GPa and under hydrostatic conditions. We find a strictly linear pressure coefficient of with no evidence for intermediate magnetic states as indicated by all previous non-hydrostatic measurements. The behaviour of TM is highly regular and can well be explained within the framework of Artman et al.'s single-ion model if a change of the single-ion anisotropy energy by +1%/GPa is assumed. Such a value seems not to be unusual for iron oxides.

Low-temperature magnetic characterization of optimum and etch-damaged in-plane magnetic tunnel junctions

We describe low-temperature characterization of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) patterned by reactive ion etching for spin-transfer-torque magnetic random access memory. Magnetotransport measurements of typical MTJs show increasing tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) and larger coercive fields as temperature is decreased down to 10 K. However, MTJs selected from the high-resistance population of an MTJ array exhibit stable intermediate magnetic states when measured at low temperature and show TMR roll-off below 100 K. These non-ideal low-temperature behaviors arise from edge damage during the etch process and can have negative impacts on thermal stability of the MTJs.

Nontrivial ferrimagnetism of the Heisenberg model on the Union Jack strip lattice

We study the ground-state properties of the S=1/2 antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model on the Union Jack strip lattice by using the exact-diagonalization and density matrix renormalization group methods. We confirm a region of the intermediate-magnetization state between the Neel-like spin liquid state and the conventional ferrimagnetic state of Lieb-Mattis type. In the intermediate-state, we find that the spontaneous magnetization changes gradually with respect to the strength of the inner interaction. In addition, the local magnetization clearly shows an incommensurate modulation with long-distance periodicity in the intermediate-magnetization state. These characteristic behaviors lead to the conclusion that the intermediate-magnetization state is the non-Lieb-Mattis ferrimagnetic one. We also discuss the relationship between the ground-state properties of the S=1/2 antiferromagnetic Heisenberg model on the original Union Jack lattice and those on our strip lattice.

Spectroscopic and magnetooptical investigations of spin-reorientation phase transition in TbFe3(BO3)4

Spectroscopic and magnetooptical investigations of spin-reorientation transition induced by a magnetic field in antiferromagnetic terbium ferroborate TbFe3(BO3)4 were performed. In the phase-transition region, a magnetic intermediate state with a periodic alternation of domains of initial and spin-flopped magnetic phases appears. As a result, a strong light scattering by the crystal takes place. It is shown that the main mechanism of light scattering is related to an appearance of the large Faraday rotation in a high-field magnetic phase. Visual polarization investigations of the domain structure in the intermediate state were carried out. The energy of the interphase boundary between the antiferromagnetic and high-field magnetic phases was calculated. The existence domain of the intermediate magnetic state was determined in the H–T coordinates.

Low field giant magnetoresistance in coupled elliptical rings

The giant magnetoresistance response of ellipse shaped Co(10 nm)/Cu(8 nm)/Ni80Fe20(10 nm)/Cu(2 nm) rings magnetostatically coupled to external magnetic elements has been systematically investigated. Magnetoresistance responses at low field show distinct states when the field is cycled through various intermediate magnetization states of Ni80Fe20 and Co layers. Due to strong magnetostatic coupling between the ring and the external magnetic elements, these metastable intermediate states were not observed when the field is cycled through saturation. We have also investigated the temperature dependence of magnetization behavior of these rings. Our experimental results are in good agreement with micromagnetic simulations.