Nonmagnetic Spacer Research Articles

Tuning the magnetic properties of ultrathin magnetic films with MgO as the buffer layer

To minimize the screening effect of a metallic ferromagnetic film and improve the effectiveness of electric field modulation, high-quality ultrathin magnetic film is one of the critical prerequisites. Here ultrathin magnetic films and synthetic antiferromagnetics (SAFs) are deposited on SiO2 substrates at room temperature using the magnetron sputtering. Atomic force microscopy is used to characterize the roughness of MgO, Nb, Ru, W, and CoFeB films, revealing their atomic-level flatness, with root mean square roughness values below 0.3 nm, which are crucial in the subsequent preparation of ultrathin SAF to achieve high-quality interfaces. The results from the magneto-optical Kerr microscopy suggest that when MgO is 1.48 nm, ultrathin 0.6 nm CoFeB exhibits stable room-temperature perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and there is a correlation between room-temperature ferromagnetism and MgO thickness. For SAFs, ultrathin 0.6 nm CoFeB-based SAF exhibits room-temperature antiferromagnetism via the Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida interaction mechanism. The exchange coupling field demonstrates that the transition between ferromagnetic coupling and antiferromagnetic coupling can be regulated by adjusting both the thickness of the non-magnetic spacer layer and the CoFeB layer. This work lays the ground for the potential applications of high-density storage and efficient electric field modulation of ferromagnetic multilayers for improving energy efficiency.

Magnetization States and Coupled Spin-Wave Modes in Concentric Double Nanorings.

Concentric multiple nanorings have previously been fabricated and investigated mainly for their different static magnetization states. Here, we present a theoretical analysis for the magnetization dynamics in double nanorings arranged concentrically, where there is coupling across a nonmagnetic spacer due to the long-range dipole-dipole interactions. We employ a microscopic, or Hamiltonian-based, formalism to study the discrete spin waves that exist in the magnetic states where the individual rings may be in either a vortex or an onion state. Numerical results are shown for the frequencies and the spatial amplitudes (with relative phase included) of the spin-wave modes. Cases are considered in which the magnetic materials of the rings are the same (taken to be permalloy) or two different materials such as permalloy and cobalt. The dependence of these properties on the mean radial position of the spacer were studied, showing, in most cases, the existence of two distinct transition fields. The special cases, where the radial spacer width becomes very small (less than 1 nm) were analyzed to study direct interfaces between dissimilar materials and/or effects of interfacial exchange interactions such as Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yoshida coupling. These spin-wave properties may be of importance for magnetic switching devices and sensors.

Medium dynamic field range linear bipolar spin valve sensor through soft pinning the sensing layer

Magnetic sensor with spin valve-GMR technology with medium dynamic range is designed for a diversity of applications, including linear and rotary position measurements, proximity switches, and current sensors. For this, the sensing layer (SL) of the spin valve stack was modified by a soft pinning layer (SPL) through an exchange bias field created by an antiferromagnetic layer which has a lower blocking temperature than the one that is kept adjacent to the pinned layer. Numerical simulation was carried out to control the bias field by keeping a non-magnetic Ru spacer layer between the SPL and SL layers and the results were experimentally verified. The magnetic sensor was fabricated with linear operating field range of the order ±100 Oe having a sensitivity of the order of 0.1 m V V−1 Oe−1 near zero field. The thermal performance confirms that the device can be operated in the temperature range of −40 ∘C to 125 ∘C and it has a thermal coefficient of voltage around 15 µV V−1∘C−1.

Micromagnetic modeling of double spin-torque magnetic tunnel junction devices

Emerging nonvolatile magnetoresistive random access memory exhibits high endurance and long data retention compared to flash memory. Additionally, devices with double spin torque magnetic tunnel junctions (dsMTJ) featuring two magnetic reference layers demonstrate enhanced torques, fast switching, and reduced switching currents. To accurately model these devices, we adopt a coupled spin and charge transport approach allowing to describe spin-transfer torques in metallic spin valves and magnetic tunnel junctions on equal footing. Our findings indicate the critical influence of metallic non-magnetic spacers (NMS) properties separating the free layer from the second reference layer on the switching speed improvement in dsMTJ devices.

Improvements in thermoelectric features by resonant-tunneling magnetic tunnel junctions with β-Ga2O3 semiconductor

A study was conducted to investigate thermoelectric effects (TEEs) in resonant-tunneling magnetic tunnel junctions (RTMTJs) featuring wide-bandgap semiconductors such as ZnO and β-Ga2O3, along with a non-magnetic metal spacer. The transmission function was determined using the non-equilibrium Green’s function method within a tight-binding model. Significant enhancements in TEEs were observed for the β-Ga2O3 semiconductor compared to other materials, indicating its potential applicability in the emerging field of β-Ga2O3 spincaloritronics.

Ultrastrong magnon-magnon coupling and chiral spin-texture control in a dipolar 3D multilayered artificial spin-vortex ice

Strongly-interacting nanomagnetic arrays are ideal systems for exploring reconfigurable magnonics. They provide huge microstate spaces and integrated solutions for storage and neuromorphic computing alongside GHz functionality. These systems may be broadly assessed by their range of reliably accessible states and the strength of magnon coupling phenomena and nonlinearities. Increasingly, nanomagnetic systems are expanding into three-dimensional architectures. This has enhanced the range of available magnetic microstates and functional behaviours, but engineering control over 3D states and dynamics remains challenging. Here, we introduce a 3D magnonic metamaterial composed from multilayered artificial spin ice nanoarrays. Comprising two magnetic layers separated by a non-magnetic spacer, each nanoisland may assume four macrospin or vortex states per magnetic layer. This creates a system with a rich 16N microstate space and intense static and dynamic dipolar magnetic coupling. The system exhibits a broad range of emergent phenomena driven by the strong inter-layer dipolar interaction, including ultrastrong magnon-magnon coupling with normalised coupling rates of Δfν=0.57\\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{upgreek} \\setlength{\\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \\begin{document}$$\\frac{\\Delta f}{\ u }=0.57$$\\end{document}, GHz mode shifts in zero applied field and chirality-control of magnetic vortex microstates with corresponding magnonic spectra.

Magnetization switching driven by spin current in a T-type ferromagnetic trilayer

The T-type CoFeB/spacer/CoFeB structure is a promising candidate for the development of perpendicular spin–orbit torque (SOT) magnetic random-access memory and other SOT devices. It consists of an in-plane magnetized layer, a perpendicularly magnetized layer, and a non-magnetic metal spacer that induces interlayer exchange coupling. By engineering the W spacer, this system achieves field-free SOT switching with a nearly 100% switching ratio. Furthermore, it realizes a high exchange coupling field of 255 Oe using a relatively thinner spacer thickness, enhancing the reliability and energy efficiency of SOT switching. Measurement of current switching probability suggests that this perpendicular magnetic anisotropy system may enable the implementation of probability-adjustable true random number generators in future applications. The T-type structures with strong interlayer coupling exhibit great potential for spintronic device applications.

Observation of topological hall effect and skyrmions in Pt/Co/Ir/Co/Pt system

Abstract The interlayer exchange coupling (IEC) between two ferromagnetic (FM) layers separated by a non-magnetic (NM) spacer layer gives rise to different types of coupling with the variation of spacer layer thickness. When the NM is metallic, the IEC is attributed to the well-known Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) interaction which shows an oscillatory decaying nature with increasing thickness. Due to this, it is possible to tune the coupling between the two FM to be either ferromagnetic or antiferromagnetic. In this work we have studied a Pt/Co/Ir/Co/Pt system where the Co thickness has been taken in the strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy regime which is much less than the spin reorientation transition thickness. By tuning the Ir thickness to 2.0 nm, a canted state of magnetization reversal in the system is observed which gives rise to a possibility of nucleating topologically non-trivial spin textures like skyrmions. Further, with the combination of transport and magnetic force microscopy (MFM) measurements, we have confirmed the presence of skyrmions in our system. These findings may be useful for potential applications in emerging spintronic and data storage technologies using skyrmions.

Tunability of Microwave Frequency Using Spin Torque Nano Oscillator by the Generated Oersted Field with Tunable Free Layer

The current-induced magnetization precession dynamics provoked by the spin transfer torque (STT) in a spin valve device i.e. tri-layer device (commonly spin torque nano oscillator (STNO)) is investigated numerically by solving the governing Landau–Lifshitz–Gilbert–Slonczewski (LLGS) equation. In this study, we have devised an STNO device made of EuO-based ferromagnetic alloy in free and fixed magnetic layers. The copper acts as a nonmagnetic spacer. Here, we have introduced the current induced Oesterd field (CIOF), which is generated when a spin-polarized current passes through the STNO device. In the device, we have tuned the free layer angle [Formula: see text] from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text] as an increment of [Formula: see text]. For every individual [Formula: see text] ranging from [Formula: see text] to [Formula: see text], the generated Oersted field’s strength can be altered by increasing the STNO device’s diameter. Henceforth, it is apparent that the frequency tunability is achieved in the device for all the values of [Formula: see text]. The frequency and power of the device depend entirely on the material’s saturation magnetization, which inherently reflects the current density and coherence of spin-polarized DC. From the results, it is apparent that for a particular [Formula: see text], the frequency keeps increasing with the eventual decrease in power when we increase the strength of the Oersted field from 10[Formula: see text]kA/m to 50[Formula: see text]kA/m. By doing so, the maximum frequency can be tuned up to 212[Formula: see text]GHz for [Formula: see text] with [Formula: see text] as 50[Formula: see text]kA/m. The high frequency emitted by the device acts as a linchpin ingredient, as well as a launch pad element in much of scientific and technological point of view. It paves way for a new route in the areas such as high capacity, high precision, high density as well as the sensing applications.

Magnetically Reconfigurable Toroidal Metasurfaces

AbstractHarnessing electron spin within limited dimensions under applied magnetic fields can lead to spin‐assisted tunable light‐matter interactions, which form a crucial step in developing frequency‐agile opto‐spintronic structures toward next generation photonic devices. For this purpose, spin‐dependent magneto transport phenomena derived from ferromagnetic (FM)/nonmagnetic (NM) multilayer structures have recently emerged as a useful tool for dynamically tailoring electromagnetic waves. With this pretext, five layers of aluminum (Al)/nickel (Ni) based multilayer thin films in sub skin depth regime are studied in terahertz domain under low‐intensity (0 to 30 mT) magnetic fields while systematically varying the NM spacer layer (sandwiched between the FM layers) from 8 to 18 nm. Such thin multi‐layer films demonstrate conductivity variations up to ≈40% for 30 mT of applied field. Utilizing the same multilayer configurations, magnetic field induced tunability in a metasurface design is investigated that simultaneously manifests toroidal, dipolar, and other higher‐order modes. Further, multipolar analysis reveals that the nonradiative toroidal and radiative dipole modes can be enhanced by almost 56% and 183%, respectively, under 0–30 mT magnetic fields. Such magnetic field‐induced simultaneous control over radiative and non‐radiative resonances can be pivotal for next generation terahertz magnetophotonic devices.

Magnetic ordering in strong anisotropic ferromagnetic bilayers with dipolar and antiferromagnetic interlayer exchange interactions: Monte Carlo approach.

In this work, multilayer films consisting of two strong-anisotropic ferromagnetic layers antiferromagnetically coupled by a nonmagnetic spacer are studied by Monte Carlo simulations. The system is modeled by an Ising-based Hamiltonian that depends on both the intralayer exchange and dipolar constants and on the interlayer exchange constant (IEC). The ground state of the monolayers (null IEC) corresponds to alternate stripe domains with width h defined by the ratio between the exchange and dipolar constants (δ). The results show that IEC alters the energy balance that controls the stripe domain formation, leading to a ground state characterized by in-plane stripes out-plane antiferromagnetically coupled. When temperature increases two regimes are identified: an IEC-dominated regime where the orientational and positional orders are simultaneously lost in both layers, driving the system to the tetragonal liquid (TL) phase, and a dipolar-dominated one where signs of layers decoupling and the onset of positional disorder are observed. The last could be related with an intermediate nematic phase (NM). From the study of the nonequilibrium dynamics, the phase transitions to TL phase are characterized as continuous and those to the NM one as Kosterlitz-Thouless type. Also, for both layers the critical temperatures are the same and increase with IEC magnitude. Furthermore, the obtained critical exponents depend on the IEC values, which is indicative of a weak universality. For the dipolar-dominated regime, the decoupling between layers is also evidenced by the difference between their critical exponents.

Strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy and interlayer coupling in CoRh/Rh/Fe multilayers tailored by Rh spacer layer thickness

Magnetic interlayer coupling is a critical study topic for spintronic device technology because it is an essential component in designing magnetic multilayers with functionality that can be expanded into application areas. Particularly, the interlayer coupling between two ferromagnetic (FM) layers with different magnetic properties in the magnetic field is the specific situation to develop spintronic applications, such as increasing the sensitivity of magnetic field sensors. Therefore, the film structure was chosen as two layers in this study; the first ferromagnetic layer (FM1-CoRh) has a perpendicular and the second ferromagnetic layer (FM2-Fe) has an in-plane (IP) magnetic easy axis in the presence of a magnetic field. Here, a non-magnetic (NM) Rh spacer layer separated the two FM layers. The magnetic properties dependent on spacer layer thickness (t) in CoRh/Rh/Fe multilayers were investigated in detail. It is found that the strength of interlayer coupling alters depending on the t.

Dynamic susceptibility of dipolar coupled magnetic vortices

We report a calculation of the dynamic susceptibility of a pair of ferromagnetic circular nanocylinders stacked along the common axis, one on the other, and separated by a thin nonmagnetic spacer. Our theoretical model considers the dipolar energy without restrictions on dipolar sums, along with the anisotropy and exchange energies. Our results indicate that the nanocylinders dipolar interaction may affect the susceptibility spectrum. We have found, for instance, that a 30nm thick, 70nm diameter Fe nanocylinder holds a single magnetic vortex, and the planar susceptibility (χxx) spectrum displays two low-frequency peaks (at 0.37 and 1.00 GHz). We have also found that the χxx susceptibility spectrum of dipolar-coupled vortices in a pair of Fe nanocylinders with a 5 nm spacer exhibits peaks at 0.3, 0.7, 1.2, and 1.4 GHz. Furthermore, the relative weight of the peaks is controlled by the degree of spatial localization of these excitations.

Performance evaluation and optimization of magnetorheological damper with non-magnetic spacer using JAYA and grey wolf optimization

Performance evaluation and optimization of magnetorheological damper with non-magnetic spacer using JAYA and grey wolf optimization

Experimental evidence of the oscillation behavior of the interlayer DMI effect

Chiral spin interactions play an important role in magnetism. Recent reports have revealed a new type of antisymmetric and indirect spin interaction, namely, the interlayer Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI), which is predicted to arise from the three-site spin–orbit scattering of delocalized electrons as an additional Ruderman–Kittel–Kasuya–Yosida (RKKY) effect. Here, we investigated the interlayer DMI and RKKY interaction in the similar Pt/Co/Pt/Ru/Pt/Co/Pt structures as a function of spacer thickness. Both interactions present a synchronous damping oscillation and support the predicted relevance between them. The coupling strength of the interlayer DMI was finely engineered by tunning thickness of the nonmagnetic spacer. This work can deepen the understanding of the interlayer DMI and guide the control and use of the interlayer DMI in the field-free spin–orbit torque switching or the design of three-dimensional chiral spin textures.

Tunnel-magneto resistance of double-barrier tunnel junctions in the presence of spin-orbit coupling within spin-filter barriers

The tunnel magneto-resistance ratio is investigated for double-barrier tunnel junctions with spin-filter (magnetic insulators) barriers. The transmission probability is calculated in the tight-binding model by the non-equilibrium Green's function formalism considering spin-orbit coupling within barriers. The formation of resonant states inside a non-magnetic spacer gives rise to an enhancement in tunnel magneto-resistance ratio. Double spin-filter tunnel junctions have also shown a higher tunnel magneto-resistance ratio compared to that in double-barrier magnetic tunnel junctions. These findings will be valuable to improve the performance of spintronics devices.

Field-free spin-orbit torque switching in interlayer exchange coupled Co/Ta/CoTb

This study investigates a T-type field-free spin-orbit torque device with an in-plane magnetic layer coupled to a perpendicular magnetic layer via a non-magnetic spacer. The device utilizes a Co/Ta/CoTb structure, in which the in-plane Co layer and the perpendicular CoTb layer are ferromagnetically (FM) coupled through the Ta spacer. ‘T-type’ refers to the magnetization arrangement in the FM/spacer/FIM structure, where the magnetization in FM is in-plane, while in FIM, it is out-of-plane. This configuration forms a T-shaped arrangement for the magnetization of the two magnetic layers. Additionally, ‘interlayer exchange coupling (IEC)’ denotes the interaction between the two magnetic layers, which is achieved by adjusting the material and thickness of the spacer. Our results show that an in-plane effective field from the IEC enables deterministic current-induced magnetization switching of the CoTb layer. The field-driven and the current-driven asymmetric domain wall motion are observed and characterized by magneto-optic Kerr effect measurements. The functionality of multistate synaptic plasticity is demonstrated by understanding the relationship between the anomalous Hall resistance and the applied current pulses, indicating the potential for the device in spintronic memory and neuromorphic computing.

Tunable interplay between exchange coupling and uniaxial magnetic anisotropy in epitaxial CoO/Au/Fe trilayers

We show that the interaction between ferromagnetic Fe(110) and antiferromagnetic CoO(111) sublayers can be mediated and precisely tuned by a nonmagnetic Au spacer. Our results prove that the thickness of the Fe and Au layers can be chosen to modify the effective anisotropy of the Fe layer and the strength of the exchange bias interaction between Fe and CoO sublayers. Well-defined and tailorable magnetic anisotropy of the ferromagnet above Néel temperature of the antiferromagnet is a determining factor that governs exchange bias and interfacial CoO spins orientation at low temperatures. In particular, depending on the room temperature magnetic state of Fe, the low-temperature exchange bias in a zero-field cooled system can be turned “off” or “on”. The other way around, we show that exchange bias can be the dominating magnetic anisotropy source for the ferromagnet and it is feasible to induce a 90-degree rotation of the easy axis as compared to the initial, exchange bias-free easy axis orientation.

First-Principles Studies on Spin-Dependent Transport of Magnetic Junctions with Half-Metallic Heusler Compounds

Two types of magnetoresistance (MR), i.e., tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) and current perpendicular to plane giant magnetoresistance (CPP-GMR), are theoretically discussed for systems with half-metallic (HFM) Co-based full Heusler compounds. In TMR, the non-collinear spin structure at the Co2MnSi(CMS)/MgO(001) interface that results from thermal spin fluctuations significantly reduced the TMR ratio at room temperature (RT). Enhancement of the exchange stiffness of CMS/MgO was essential to suppress the reduction in TMR at RT. Furthermore, it is proposed that inserting of a B2-CoFe layer between CMS and MgO is a promising way to enhance the interface exchange stiffness constant. In CPP-GMR, the interface spin asymmetry γ in the Valet-Fert model was essential to enhance GMR at RT, because the temperature dependence of γ in experiments was much larger than that of the bulk spin asymmetry β. I showed that the experimental CPP-GMR ratio increases with the decrease in the theoretical resistance-area product RPA, which is roughly consistent with the RP dependence of γ. This means that matching of the conductive channel between HMF and a non-magnetic metallic spacer is a key parameter to enhance γ. These findings will be very important for room temperature spintronics devices applied in future artificial intelligence hardware.

Nonreciprocal transmission of magnetoacoustic waves in compensated synthetic antiferromagnets

We investigate the interaction between surface acoustic waves (SAWs) and spin waves (SWs) in a Pt/Co($2\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}$)/Ru($0.85\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}$)/Co($2\phantom{\rule{0.16em}{0ex}}\mathrm{nm}$)/Pt compensated synthetic antiferromagnet (SAF) composed of two ferromagnetic layers with equal thicknesses separated by a thin nonmagnetic Ru spacer layer. Because of the combined presence of interlayer dipolar coupling fields and interfacial Dzyaloshinskii--Moriya interaction (iDMI), the optical SW mode shows a large nondegenerate dispersion relation for counter-propagating SWs. Due to resonant SAW-SW interaction, we observe a nonreciprocal SAW transmission in the prepared piezoelectric/SAF hybrid device. We demonstrate that the nonreciprocity of the SAW transmission in symmetric SAFs with equal thicknesses of the magnetic layers can show a substantially different characteristic behavior in comparison to asymmetric SAFs or magnetic single layers with iDMI. For the prepared SAF, the nonreciprocal shift of the magnetoacoustic resonance fields and the magnetoacoustic SW excitation efficiency depend on the external magnetic field sweep direction. For one magnetic field sweep direction and angle of the magnetic field, the resonance fields of the waves propagating in one direction are larger than for the waves propagating in the opposite direction. In addition, the magnitude of the nonreciprocal field shift is at minimum if the external magnetic field is aligned perpendicular to the SW propagation direction. The experimental results are in agreement with a phenomenological SAW-SW interaction model.