Magnetoelastic Coupling Research Articles

Large-angle Lorentz Four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy for simultaneous local magnetization, strain and structure mapping

Small adjustments in atomic configurations can significantly impact the magnetic properties of matter. Strain, for instance, can alter magnetic anisotropy and enable fine-tuning of magnetism. However, the effects of these changes on nanoscale magnetism remain largely unexplored. In particular, when strain fluctuates at the nanoscale, directly linking structural changes with magnetic behavior poses a substantial challenge. Here, we develop an approach, LA-Ltz-4D-STEM, to map structural information and magnetic fields simultaneously at the nanoscale. This approach opens avenues for an in-depth study of structure-property correlations of magnetic materials at the nanoscale. We applied LA-Ltz-4D-STEM to image strain, atomic packing, and magnetic fields simultaneously in a deformed amorphous ferromagnet with complex strain variations at the nanoscale. An anomalous magnetic configuration near shear bands, which reside in a magnetostatically high-energy state, was observed. By performing pixel-to-pixel correlation of the different physical quantities across a large field of view, a critical aspect for investigating industrial ferromagnetic materials, the magnetic moments were classified into two distinct groups: one influenced by magnetoelastic coupling and the other oriented by competition with magnetostatic energy.

Magnetoelastic Coupling of Surface Spin and Surface Acoustic Waves

Magnetoelastic Coupling of Surface Spin and Surface Acoustic Waves

Exploring stress-dependent impedance behavior via magnetization dynamics in amorphous magnetic fibers in high frequency: Experimental and modeling

The magnetoelastic effect plays a crucial role in influencing the magnetization dynamics and impedance characteristics of magnetic fibers (MFs). In this work, we investigate the modulation of the domain structure and impedance behaviors under stress within Co-based MFs aided by experimental and theoretical approaches. The remarkable changes of natural ferromagnetic resonance and the transition of domain inclination angles indicate that the stress-impedance effect derives from the evolution of the magnetic domain structure and anisotropy field, which are induced by magnetoelastic coupling. The ferromagnetic resonance linewidths over a range of applied tensile strains (0–0.54%) serve to elucidate the contribution of magnetoelastic coupling to magnetic damping in ferromagnetic fibers. By utilizing the shell domain expansion method, we derive circular dynamic permeability and compute the impedance properties at high frequencies of MFs under multi-field stimulus. The theoretical model accurately predicts key features of magnetization dynamics, the evolution of ferromagnetic resonance, and impedance curves of MFs, in good agreement with experimental results including very fine observation of domain evolution. This comprehensive approach provides profound insights into the stress modulation of impedance characteristics, with implications for sensing applications of MFs.

Exponential dependence between motion acceleration and diameters of skyrmions under the driven of periodical strains

The internal strain in practical materials is usually seen as defects and a large of methods have been proposed to avoid its appearance. However, strains in magnetic materials can be effective in regulating the performance mediated by magnetoelastic coupling effect. Herein, we theoretically demonstrate the motion of skyrmions driven by time-dependent periodical strains which imitate strain fluctuations in real materials. It is found that the motion acceleration of skyrmions is exponential correlation with diameters and skyrmions can be rebounded near the end of magnetic racetrack for larger size of diameters. Such a motion results from the excitation of spin wave modes on the position of circular domain walls in skyrmions. Our results can provide insight for manipulating skyrmions by strain engineering for applications in information storage and processing.

Identifying Band Structure Changes of FePS3 across the Antiferromagnetic Phase Transition.

Magnetic 2D materials enable interesting tuning options of magnetism. As an example, the van der Waals material FePS3, a zig-zag-type intralayer antiferromagnet, exhibits very strong magnetoelastic coupling due to the different bond lengths along different ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic coupling directions enabling elastic tuning of magnetic properties. The likely cause of the length change is the intricate competition between direct exchange of the Fe atoms and superexchange via the S and P atoms. To elucidate this interplay, we study the band structure of exfoliated FePS3 by μm scale ARPES (angular resolved photoelectron spectroscopy), both, above and below the Néel temperature TN. We found three characteristic changes across TN. They involve S 3p-type bands, Fe 3d-type bands and P 3p-type bands, respectively, as attributed by comparison with density functional theory calculations (DFT + U). This highlights the involvement of all the atoms in the magnetic phase transition providing independent evidence for the intricate exchange paths.

Performance enhancement of a magnetoactive elastomer actuator through a coupled magnetoelastic topology optimization scheme

Abstract We have found that considering local magnetic fields, large deformations, and magnetoelastic coupling simultaneously significantly affect the resulting shape in magnetoelastic topology optimization in a uniaxial actuator case. In contrast to the work presented here, other works incorporate magnetoelastic formulations that include simplifying assumptions on the local field, and subsequent effects on the magnetization response of the material, or the absence of large deformation mechanics, or both. These assumptions were shown to produce solutions that differ substantively from cases where local fields and large deformations are addressed concurrently. Magnetoelastic topology optimization schemes are needed to optimize magnetoactive elastomer (MAE) devices. MAE devices are magnetic particle-filled polymer matrices designed for specific actuations and controlled remotely by an external magnetic field. They garner considerable research interest as an emerging technology for actuators in soft robots or in applications requiring untethered actuation. The material properties of MAEs are dependent on the volume fraction of particles in the elastomer matrix, where a high-volume fraction increases relative permeability (for soft magnetic particles) but also increases elastic modulus. For optimal actuation, a tradeoff between low stiffness and high magnetic response must be made by adjusting volume fraction and controlling material placement. Using a topology optimization scheme that considers both the magnetic and mechanical properties of the material, the shape and material composition of the device can be tuned to best achieve the desired actuation displacement. In this work, a density-based magnetoelastic multimaterial topology optimization scheme for soft magnetic material is developed in COMSOL Multiphysics. The optimization scheme uses multiphysics coupling that considers local magnetic fields and large deformations at each iteration through a Maxwell stress tensor formulation. A simulated example is then considered to demonstrate the effectiveness and necessity of a coupled optimization. The effect of considering large deformations during optimization is also investigated. It was found that a coupled topology optimization scheme with large deformations produced shapes with modes of actuation not captured by schemes with simplifying assumptions, leading to better performance at lower material cost. Considering large deformations in the coupled scheme offered significantly better performance, with an increase of 81.3% in a side-by-side performance simulation when compared to uncoupled cases.

A 3D shell model for static and free vibration analysis of multilayered magneto-elastic structures

In this paper, an exact 3D coupled magneto-elastic shell model for static and free vibration analysis of multilayered piezomagnetic smart structures is presented. The introduction of the mixed curvilinear orthogonal reference system (α,β,z) allows investigations of plates, cylindrical shells, cylinders and spherical shells as actuators or sensors and also in free vibration conditions. The present exact 3D coupled shell model is composed of four second-order differential equations whose primary variables are the three displacements u, v and w and the magnetic potential ψ. Displacements, stresses, strains, magnetic potential, magnetic induction and circular frequency values are computed to understand the behaviour of piezomagnetic smart structures. The resolution method adopted for the present 3D magneto-elastic problem is based on harmonic forms in α and β in-plane directions and the exponential matrix method in the z direction. Simply supported one-layered/multilayered structures with 0° or 90° orthotropic angles have been analysed. The results section is divided into a first part related to the validation of the proposed 3D model and a second part where new benchmark cases are presented and discussed. Different lamination schemes, load boundary conditions, geometries and materials are studied. Magneto-elastic coupling, thickness and material layer effects are discussed for thin and thick structures. The main novelty of the present exact 3D coupled magneto-elastic shell model stands in the ability to analyse several geometries and multilayered configurations embedding piezomagnetic materials under the action of different boundary loads via a general mathematical formulation.

Singular Points of the Radiation Spectrum of Leaky Surface Magnon Polarons

Within the dissipation-free approach, for a magnetic layer separating two semi-bounded ideal fluids, it is shown that, at the point of the phonon radiation spectrum where leaky surface magnon polarons of the “dark” state are formed (of interference or symmetry-protected type) at the interface with an acoustically less dense medium, both the numerator and the denominator of the input wave impedance can independently become zero (at the very point of existence of a bound state in the continuum, they vanish simultaneously). The calculation was performed for a two-sublattice model of an antiferromagnet, which simultaneously takes into account magnetoelastic, inhomogeneous exchange, and hyperfine coupling. Conditions have been found under which the mechanisms of formation of bound states in the spectrum of phonon radiation of leaky magnon polarons involving quasi-electronic or quasi-nuclear magnons are fundamentally different: elastodynamic or elastostatic.

Nonreciprocal transmission of surface acoustic waves induced by magneotoelastic coupling with an anti-magnetostrictive bilayer

In this study, we report giant nonreciprocal transmission of shear-horizontal surface acoustic waves (SH-SAWs) in a ferromagnetic bilayer structure with negative–positive magnetostriction configuration. Although the directions of magnetization in the neighboring layers are parallel, SH-SAWs can excite optical-mode spin waves (SWs) via magnetoelastic coupling at relatively low frequencies, which is much stronger than acoustic-mode SWs at high frequencies. The measured magnitude nonreciprocity or isolation of SH-SAWs exceeds 40 dB (or 80 dB/mm) at 2.333 GHz. In addition, maximum nonreciprocal phase accumulation reaches 188° (376°/mm). Our theoretical model and calculations provide an insight into the observed phenomena and demonstrate a pathway for further improving nonreciprocal acoustic devices toward highly compact microwave isolators and circulators.

Magnetic structures of PrMn7O12 : Intersublattice magnetoelastic coupling and incommensurate spin canting

We report on the magnetic structures of PrMn7O12, resolving both a high-temperature structure in common with the other R3+Mn7O12 systems and an additional low-temperature phase characterized by a superposed incommensurate (ICM) spin canting. A phenomenological model is developed to account for large magnetoelastic coupling immediately below the Curie temperature, demonstrating that A′B exchange is primarily responsible for the ferrimagnetic structures observed across the R3+Mn7O12 family. Finally, an analytical mean-field minimal model is presented that successfully accounts for all magnetic structures observed in this family of materials, including the canted commensurate and ICM ground states. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Variation of Gilbert damping constant via interface induced magnetic anisotropy in LSMO/PMN-PT heterostructures

The field of spintronics is emerging at blistering pace due to its promising room-temperature applications in low-power logic-based devices. In this work, we investigate the suitability of ferromagnetic (FM) La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO) thin film/ferroelectric (FE) Pb(Mg0.33Nb0.67)O3-PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) heterostructures for spintronic device applications through characterizing the static and dynamic magnetic properties. Due to the magnetoelastic coupling at the interface, LSMO/PMN-PT(001) is found to exhibit a 4-fold symmetry of magnetic anisotropy, while LSMO/PMN-PT(111) shows isotropic behavior at room temperature. The direction dependent Gilbert damping constant (α) estimated for the LSMO/PMN-PT(001) sample clearly shows that its values are smaller along the magnetically hard axis than along the easy axis, while no significant variation is observed for the LSMO/PMN-PT(111) sample. The electric field induced variation of α also demonstrate that the Gilbert damping is closely related to the magnetic anisotropy. The present results clearly indicate that it will be possible to realize electric field controlled spin dynamics in FM/FEs to develop futuristic spintronic devices.

Dynamics of Love-type wave propagation in composite transversely isotropic porous structures

The present study aims to analyze the propagation behavior of Love-type wave in a composite transversely isotropic porous structure. The structure comprises an inhomogeneous sandy porous layer lying between a non-homogeneous magneto-poroelastic layer and a heterogeneous fractured porous half-space. Analytic solutions of the field equations of the respective media involve the application of the variable separable method and Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin (WKB) asymptotic approach for the conversion of partial differential equations into ordinary differential equations. Through careful imposition of boundary conditions and subsequent elimination of arbitrary constants, we derive a complex dispersion relation governing the propagation of Love-type waves. This dispersion equation yields both the phase velocity curve, corresponding to the real expression, and the damping velocity curve, derived from the imaginary expression. To represent our findings, we conduct extensive calculations and graphical simulations illustrating the influence of various material parameters such as heterogeneity, porosity, volume fraction of fractures, sandiness, magnet-oelastic coupling, angle at which wave crosses the magnetic field, and layer thickness on the dispersive nature of Love-type waves using MATHEMATICA software. Furthermore, we conduct case-specific analyses, revealing instances where the dispersion equation simplifies to the standard Love wave equation, thereby validating our mathematical framework. Our findings underscore the significant influence of the aforementioned material parameters on the phase and damping velocities of Love-type wave. This interdisciplinary investigation into different porous media opens new avenues for future research and has significant implications in various disciplines, ranging from engineering and geophysics to environmental science and beyond.

Performance optimization for magnetoelectric antennas based on a multi-field coupling analysis model

This paper presents a multi-field coupling model for magnetoelectric (ME) antennas, encompassing a ME film, electrode layers, and a substrate featuring a cavity structure. This model accounts for the nonlinear magnetoelastic coupling within the radiation layer and employs a combined DC and AC simulation methodology to capture the antenna's radiation mechanism. Leveraging this multi-field coupling model, performance differences between the ME antenna and an ideal ME composite film are analyzed. By exploring optimization schemes based on multi-physics fields, electrode materials, and structural design, the ME antenna's radiation performance is significantly enhanced. The findings demonstrate that the complete antenna structure, with its increased thickness and cavity design, exhibits a lower resonance frequency and a higher converse ME (CME) coefficient compared to the ideal ME film. The optimal CME effect is achieved under proper external stimuli, leading to a broader 3 dB bandwidth. Expanding the cavity dimensions enhances the CME coefficient by 42% and reduces the resonance frequency due to decreased acoustic wave loss. Adopting electrode materials with higher acoustic impedance elevates the CME coefficient, yet narrows the bandwidth. Conversely, using silver (Ag) electrodes promotes a broader bandwidth. Additionally, ME antenna arrays are designed to broaden the bandwidth by 300%.

Pressure-induced softening in bulk modulus due to magnetoelastic coupling in Nd2CoFeO6 double perovskite

In the present work, we have investigated the structural response of transition metal double perovskite oxide Nd2CoFeO6 under pressure by XRD and Raman spectroscopic measurements. From XRD data, we have observed a pressure-induced structural transition from the orthorhombic phase to the monoclinic phase at about 14.8 GPa. An anomalous increase in compressibility at a much lower pressure (∼1.1 GPa) is seen where no structural transition occurs. At about the same pressure, a sudden drop in the slope of the Raman shift is observed. Further investigation at low temperatures reveals that the B1g Raman mode is strongly affected by magnetic interactions. Additional high-pressure Raman experiments with the application of a magnetic field have indicated that the mentioned anomaly around 1.1 GPa can be explained by a high-spin to low-spin transition of Co3+.

Spin-Mechanical Coupling in 2D Antiferromagnet CrSBr.

Spin-mechanical coupling is vital in diverse fields including spintronics, sensing, and quantum transduction. Two-dimensional (2D) magnetic materials provide a unique platform for investigating spin-mechanical coupling, attributed to their mechanical flexibility and novel spin orderings. However, studying their spin-mechanical coupling presents challenges in probing mechanical deformation and thermodynamic property changes at the nanoscale. Here we use nano-optoelectromechanical interferometry to mechanically detect the phase transition and magnetostriction effect in multilayer CrSBr, an air-stable antiferromagnet with large magnon-exciton coupling. The transitions among antiferromagnetism, spin-canted ferromagnetism, and paramagnetism are visualized. Nontrivial magnetostriction coefficient 2.3 × 10-5 and magnetoelastic coupling strength on the order of 106 J/m3 have been found. Moreover, we demonstrate the substantial tunability of the magnetoelastic constant by nearly 50% via gate-induced strain. Our findings demonstrate the strong spin-mechanical coupling in CrSBr and pave the way for developing sensitive magnetic sensing and efficient quantum transduction at the atomically thin limit.

Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in multilayers arising from the interplay of thermal strains and diffusion-driven plastic deformation

Magnetic films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) are the basis for efficient memory-storage and future spintronic devices. PMA predominantly stems from surface effects, e.g., symmetry reduction, at the magnetic-layer interface and quickly decays with increasing layer thickness. Strong PMA is thus typically observed in sub-nanometer multilayers with alternating magnetic and noble metals. Using in-situ temperature-dependent measurements of ferromagnetic resonance it is demonstrated that strong PMA can be achieved in Si/Ni multilayers with individual layer as thick as 16 nm. Here, PMA is imposed by thermal strains acting via magnetoelastic coupling and directly depends on the annealing temperature and time, which regulate the diffusion-driven plastic deformation. This opens a way to PMA-film fabrication that avoids complex and resource-intensive production of atomically thin multilayers.

Strain-induced antiferromagnetic domain switching via the spin Jahn-Teller effect

The spin Jahn-Teller effect, where a degeneracy of magnetic ground states is spontaneously lifted by structural distortions, lends itself to exploitation by the implied magnetoelastic coupling. CoTi2O5 hosts a frustrated topology of magnetic interactions that could realize such coupling, since the observed magnetic ground state requires a spontaneous monoclinic distortion of the crystal. Using resonant elastic x-ray scattering to simultaneously probe the magnetic structure and lattice distortion of CoTi2O5, we demonstrate near complete magnetic domain switching by an applied uniaxial stress that is conjugate to the monoclinic strain. Our results, supported by density functional theory calculations, confirm that CoTi2O5 displays spin Jahn-Teller effects that can be understood in terms of modulated Heisenberg exchange interactions, and demonstrate the potential functionality of spin Jahn-Teller materials in spintronic devices sensitive to uniaxial strain. Published by the American Physical Society 2024

Phase shift of coherent magnetization dynamics after ultrafast demagnetization in strongly quenched nickel thin films

The remagnetization process after ultrafast demagnetization can be described by relaxation mechanisms between the spin, electron, and lattice reservoirs. Thereby, collective spin excitations in form of spin waves and their angular momentum transfer play an important role on the longer timescales. In this work, we address the question whether the magnitude of demagnetization-the so-called quenching-affects the coherency and the phase of the excited spin waves. We present a study of coherent magnetization dynamics in thin nickel films after ultrafast demagnetization using the all-optical, time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr-effect technique. The largest coherent precession amplitude was observed for strongly quenched systems, indicating a well-defined precession phase for all pump pulses at a demagnetization of up to 90% in this system. Moreover, the phase of the excited spin-waves in Ni increases with the pump fluence, indicating a delayed start of the precession during the remagnetization. We compare these findings to recent studies in Ni80Fe20(permalloy), to evaluate the influence of the magneto-elastic coupling and non-linear spin-wave dynamics on the magnetization dynamics.

Acoustically driven ferromagnetic resonance in YIG thin films

Acoustically driven ferromagnetic resonance (ADFMR) is a platform that enables efficient generation and detection of spin waves via magnetoelastic coupling with surface acoustic waves (SAWs). While previous studies successfully achieved ADFMR in ferromagnetic metals, there are only few reports on ADFMR in magnetic insulators such as yttrium iron garnet (Y3Fe5O12, YIG) despite more favorable spin wave properties, including low damping and long coherence length. The growth of high-quality YIG films for ADFMR devices is a major challenge due to poor lattice-matching and thermal degradation of the piezoelectric substrates during film crystallization. In this work, we demonstrate ADFMR of YIG thin films on LiNbO3 (LNO) substrates. We employed a SiOx buffer layer and rapid thermal annealing for crystallization of YIG films with minimal thermal degradation of LNO substrates. Optimized ADFMR device designs and time-gating measurements were used to enhance the ADFMR signal and overcome the intrinsically low magnetoelastic coupling of YIG. YIG films have a polycrystalline structure with an in-plane easy direction due to biaxial stresses induced during cooling after crystallization. The YIG device shows clear ADFMR patterns with maximum absorption for H ≈ 160 mT parallel to SAW propagation, which is consistent with our simulation results based on existing theoretical models. These results expand possibilities for developing efficient spin wave devices with magnetic insulators.

Insights into reduction of hysteresis in (Mn, Fe)2(P, Si) compounds by experimental approach and Landau theory

The giant magnetocaloric effect in (Mn, Fe)2(P, Si) based alloys arises from a magnetoelastic ferromagnetic-paramagnetic (FM-PM) phase transition accompanied by a large thermal hysteresis. The thermal hysteresis leads to an undesirable irreversibility of the magnetocaloric effect (MCE) during cyclic operation, impeding the practical application in solid-state magnetic refrigeration. Here, we present pre-existing PM nuclei play a role in reducing hysteresis. A combinatorial analysis, using in situ X-ray diffraction (XRD) and magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) microscopy, reveals that the residual PM phases at the ferromagnetic state of the compound acts as the nuclei for the growth of the PM phases. This is kinetically favorable for the FM-PM phase transition and contributes to a smaller hysteresis from an extrinsic perspective. In addition, the smaller changes in the lattice constants during the phase transition indicates a weakened first-order phase transition. Through a combined effect of intrinsic and extrinsic contributions, a giant MCE in the magnetic entropy change of 16 J kg–1 K−1 under 2 T and a low thermal hysteresis of 3.0 K were achieved in a basic Mn–Fe–Si–P quaternary system for room temperature applications. Furthermore, based on Landau theory and experimentally obtained data, we established an H-T phase diagram and unveiled the crucial role of the magnetoelastic coupling in manipulating thermal hysteresis. Overall, the findings in this work offer a strategy to mitigate hysteresis while retaining a large MCE through extrinsic control.