Magnetic Reorientation Research Articles

Optical Creation of Skyrmions by Spin Reorientation Transition in Ferrimagnetic CoHo Alloys.

Manipulating magnetic skyrmions by means of a femtosecond (fs) laser pulse has attracted great interest due to their promising applications in efficient information-storage devices with ultralow energy consumption. However, the mechanism underlying the creation of skyrmions induced by an fs laser is still lacking. As a result, a key challenge is to reveal the pathway for the massive reorientation of magnetization from trivial to nontrivial topological states. Here, we studied a series of ferrimagnetic CoHo alloys and investigated the effect of a single laser pulse on the magnetic states. Thanks to the time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect and imaging techniques, we demonstrate that the laser-induced phase transitions from single domains into a topological skyrmion phase are mediated by the transient in-plane magnetization state, in real time and space domains, respectively. Combining experiments and micromagnetic simulations, we propose a two-step process for creating skyrmions through laser pulse irradiation: (i) the electron temperature enhancement induces a spin reorientation transition on a picosecond (ps) timescale due to the suppression of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) and (ii) the PMA slowly restores, accompanied by out-of-plane magnetization recovery, leading to the generation of skyrmions with the help of spin fluctuations. This work provides a route to control skyrmion patterns using an fs laser, thereby establishing the foundation for further exploration of topological magnetism at ultrafast timescales.

Field‐Free Spin‐Orbit Torque Switching of Perpendicular Magnetization by Making Full Use of Spin Hall Effect

AbstractField‐free switching is a critical issue for spin‐orbit torque‐induced magnetic random‐access memory (SOT‐MRAM) with perpendicular magnetic anisotropic (PMA) towards application. If only the spin‐polarized electrons along the y‐direction (σy) are used, deterministic switching cannot be achieved, as the electron polarization direction and easy magnetization direction are orthogonal. In this work, z‐direction polarized electrons (σz) produced by the spin Hall effect are utilized to provide the switching direction and σy provides the propulsion of magnetic reorientation. With the cooperation of σy and σz by the spin Hall effect, field‐free switching is achieved. To combine with magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ), a model is proposed, in which heavy metals providing σz are deposited on MTJ with asymmetric writing line widths. This model retains the characteristics of read‐write separation and realizes deterministic switching based on SOT.

Influence of non-uniform magnetization perturbation on spin-orbit torque measurements

Measurements of spin–orbit torques in a ferromagnetic/nonmagnetic multilayer are typically based on an assumption that the entire ferromagnetic layer uniformly responds to the spin–orbit torque. This assumption breaks down when the thickness of the ferromagnetic layer is comparable to the dynamic exchange coupling length, which can be as short as a few nanometers in certain measurement geometries. The nonuniform magnetization perturbation coupled with nonuniform contribution of each magnetic sublayer to the magnetoresistance or the Kerr effect may impact the accuracy in the extrapolation of spin–orbit torque, particularly if a thick ferromagnetic layer is used. In this paper, we use numerical models to investigate such an impact in three different techniques: the magneto-optic-Kerr-effect method, the second-harmonic method and the spin torque ferromagnetic resonance method. We show that the second-harmonic and magneto-optic-Kerr-effect methods are prone to be influenced by the nonuniform magnetization reorientation, while the spin torque ferromagnetic resonance method is much less impacted.

Manipulated magnetic coercivity and spin reorientation transition in NiCo2O4 films

Half-metallic NiCo2O4 with high spin polarizability has great potential applications in spintronics. The manipulation of magnetic anisotropy is crucial for spintronics based on spin-transfer or spin–orbit torques, as it is directly related to the critical switching current density. Here, we report epitaxial growth of metallic NiCo2O4 film with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy on MgAl2O4 single crystal substrates. The modulation of the magnetic anisotropy was achieved by changing the growth conditions (deposition temperature and thickness) of NiCo2O4 films and by means of protonation. Strong dependence of magnetic coercivity on deposition temperature (350–500 °C) has been observed due to variable phase configuration. Furthermore, the magnetic coercive field can also be effectively controlled by the film thickness (3–78 nm) through strain relaxation. More importantly, spin reorientation transition has been achieved by proton and electron doping in the NiCo2O4 films, resulting in reconfigured valence states of Ni and Co cations and a magnetic easy axis rotation from out-of-plane to in-plane. The effective modulation of the magnetic anisotropy provides important insights into the functional design of NiCo2O4-based spintronics with ultralow energy dissipation.

Micro-magnetoelastic modeling of Terfenol-D for spintronics

This article focuses on computational studies evaluating the influence of crystallinity, residual stresses, and out-of-plane (OOP) deterministic switching on Terfenol-D nano/microstructures. The computational models use both coupled and uncoupled Landau–Liftshitz–Gilbert equations with elastodynamics to study strain-induced magnetization reorientation. A Voronoi tessellation approach models the crystal distribution in the microstructures subjected to residual stresses with good agreement to experimental data including large changes in coercivity values, i.e., from 100 to 3000 Oe. Parametric studies show how the coercivity is manipulated with residual stresses, including a magnetoelastically induced perpendicular-magnetic-anisotropy (PMA), important for memory applications. Additional parametric studies focus on epitaxially deposited micro-disks, revealing that residual stresses can create magnetoelastically dominant easy axes along the ⟨110⟩ directions, which are energetically favorable relative to the intrinsic ⟨111⟩ magnetocrystalline easy axes. Modification of the global easy axis is used to design a strain-mediated multiferroic composite consisting of a 20 nm epitaxially deposited Terfenol-D memory bit with PMA grown on a PZT substrate. The multiferroic disk achieves OOP deterministic clocking with an applied voltage.

Enhancing Converse Magnetoelectric Coupling Through Strain Engineering in Artificial Multiferroic Heterostructures.

Magnetoelectric materials present a unique opportunity for electric field-controlled magnetism. Even though strain-mediated multiferroic heterostructures have shown unprecedented increase in magnetoelectric coupling compared to single-phase materials, further improvements must be made before ultra-low power memory, logic, magnetic sensors, and wide spectrum antennas can be realized. This work presents how magnetoelectric coupling can be enhanced by simultaneously exploiting multiple strain engineering approaches in heterostructures composed of Fe0.5Co0.5/Ag multilayers on (011) Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 piezoelectric crystals. When grown and measured under strain, these heterostructures exhibit an effective converse magnetoelectric coefficient in the order of 10-5 s m-1: the highest directly measured, non-resonant value to-date. This response occurred at room temperature and at low electric fields (<2 kV cm-1). This large effect is enabled by magnetization reorientation caused by changing the magnetic anisotropy with strain from the substrate and the use of multilayered magnetic materials to minimize the internal stress from deposition. Additionally, the coercive field dependence of the magnetoelectric response under strain suggests contributions from domain-mediated magnetization switching modified by voltage-induced magnetoelastic anisotropy. This work highlights how multicomponent strain engineering enables enhanced magnetoelectric coupling in heterostructures and provides an approach to realize energy-efficient magnetoelectric applications.

Particle-resin systems for additive manufacturing of rigid and elastic magnetic polymeric composites

Fiber-reinforced polymeric composites (FRPCs) with selective fiber orientations are finding applications in building biological constructs, smart materials and energy devices. Field-assisted additive manufacturing (AM) has emerged as one of the promising methods for creating FRPC structures. Compared to other AM processes and due to the liquid form of the raw materials, vat photopolymerization has shown higher potential in building FRPCs with selective fiber orientation. Compared to other methods of controlling the fiber orientation during AM processes, magnetic field-assisted fiber reorientation, is a relatively easy-to-use contactless method that has been effectively paired with vat photopolymerization. One of the major issues in magnetic field-assisted vat photopolymerization is the dispersion instability of the particles in resin system, which leads to separation between the resin components and dispersed particles and results in non-uniform particle distribution during the printing process. In this study, ferromagnetic particle-loaded photocurable resins are developed through surface modification of the particles to achieve more uniform particle dispersion, more dispersion-stable resins systems and enhanced mechanical properties of FRPCs. Magnetite particles were functionalized under silanization reactions and mixed with two photocurable resins. Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis was used to select the matching composition of silane compounds and verify the functionality of the treated magnetite particles for each resin mixture. Dispersion stability of the developed resin system was verified by visual observation of the resin mixture and image analysis of microscope images. To provide a better guideline for 3D printing the developed resin system, cure depth of each resin system containing different particle fractions is studied. Tensile tests are devised to understand the effects of particle content, orientation, and surface treatment on mechanical properties of the 3D printed FRPCs. Results of this study suggest that an optimized particle-resin system can be developed through surface treatment of magnetite particles with functional groups.

Interfacial engineering manipulation of magnetic anisotropy evolution via orbital reconstruction in low-dimensional manganite superlattices

Control of magnetic anisotropy in low-dimensional systems is of paramount importance in terms of their fundamental and technological perspectives. La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 (LSMO) is a ferromagnetic half-metal with a high Curie temperature and many efforts have been made to control its magnetic anisotropy. However, the relationship between the evolution of the magnetic anisotropy orientation and the electronic structure of low-dimensional LSMO still remains poorly understood. Here, the high-quality superlattices comprised of LSMO and SrMnO3 (SMO) layers are synthesized with a compatible structure at the atomic scale. Their magnetic anisotropy is gradually varied from planar to perpendicular by increasing the SMO thickness, and the special fourfold magnetic anisotropy is also observed at the intermediate superlattice thickness. The evolution of the magnetic anisotropy in these systems is confirmed by the electronic transport and magnetic measurements. Moreover, X-ray linear dichroism measurements and first-principles calculations reveal the interfacial orbital reconstruction with the in-plane to out-of-plane magnetic reorientation transition. Therefore, a new microscopic method for magnetic anisotropy manipulation is developed in the present study, enabling discovery of novel phenomena as well as control of the magnetic properties.

Magnetic domain structure and spin reorientation process

Abstract The domain structure was investigated in the spin reorientation region on the (100) and (001) planes of Nd2Fe14B and R(Fe, Co)11Ti (R = Tb, Dy) single crystals by means of the magnetooptical Kerr effect. The magnetic phase diagram of a tetragonal magnetic crystal was theoretically calculated and the effect of domain structures on phase transitions is investigated. On the basis of the observed domain configurations and domain wall density calculations, possible models for the volume magnetization distributions in tetragonal magnetic crystals with “easy cone” and “easy plane” anisotropy have been discussed.

Field tuning magnetic phase transition in Dy0.5Tb0.5FeO3 single crystal

RFeO3 is an ideal candidate for the fabrication of spintronic devices, and its rare earth site doping is an important means to regulate and produce many unique spin behaviors. In this work, we report a high-quality Dy0.5Tb0.5FeO3 single crystal grown by optical floating zone method and its magnetic properties are studied explicitly. A type-Ⅱ spin switching effect and suppressed spin reorientation transition are found in the Magnetization vs Temperature curves in Dy0.5Tb0.5FeO3. In the temperature region of spin reorientation transition, the transition of Fe3+ magnetic sublattice configuration becomes very complicated by the influence of competitive interaction with magnetic Dy3+/Tb3+ ions. Interestingly, a field tunable double-hysteresis loop is observed near the antiferromagnetic transition temperature of rare earth ions sublattice, which has never been reported in RFeO3 family compounds. By studying the dependence of double-hysteresis loop at different temperatures, the magnetic phase transition and spin reorientation transition induced by the applied magnetic field are inferred. This novel physical phenomenon helps us understand the mechanism of spin configuration transition better at low temperatures.

Ultrafast Laser Modulation of Local Magnetization Orientation in Perpendicularly Exchange-Coupled Bilayer

Laser-induced magnetization dynamics in a perpendicularly exchange-coupled TbFeCo/GdFeCo bilayer film are studied by using pump-probe magneto-optical Kerr spectroscopy. An ultrafast modulation effect on local magnetization orientation is observed. Such ultrafast magnetization reorientation in the GdFeCo layer is revealed to be triggered by the femtosecond laser pulse and driven by the effective exchange field. These processes occur within a timescale of hundreds of picoseconds, in which the field- and fluence-dependent dynamical behaviors are demonstrated. In addition, an atomistic Heisenberg model is proposed for studying the laser-induced magnetization dynamics by using micromagnetic simulation. The simulated results agree with the experimental phenomena and further reveal the underlying mechanism. These results show an approach for ultrafast manipulation of the local magnetization orientation in perpendicularly exchange-coupled structures.

DC magnetization of titania supported on reduced graphene oxide flakes

Abstract DC magnetization of a series of titania nanocomposites modified with reduced graphene oxide (rGO) has been investigated. Hysteresis loops observed at room temperature disappeared at low temperatures. At a temperature of about 100 K, a phase transition to the superferromagnetic order state was observed, probably due to the linear expansion and self-reorientation of the magnetic moments. Processes associated with magnetic moment reorientation can cause a hysteresis loop to disappear at low temperatures as well as superferromagnetic ordering. It was suggested that the isolated nanoparticle in the nanopore could be used to create a “compass” at a nanometer-sized level that would be many times more sensitive than the conventional one. Measurements of the zero-field cooling and field cooling modes do not exclude the possibility of the coexistence of a superparamagnetic state.

Polymeric Terbium(III) Squarate Hydrate as a Luminescent Magnet

Polymeric terbium(III) squarate hydrate [{Tb2(C4O4)3(H2O)8}n] was prepared from TbCl3 or Tb2O3 and squaric acid. The crystal structure was determined in a monoclinic Pc space group, and the whole molecular arrangement gives a sandwiched two-dimensional structure. The coordination polyhedra are described as a square antiprism. The solid complex emits green light under UV irradiation at room temperature with the quantum yield of 25%. Although Tb3+ is a non-Kramers ion, the alternating-current magnetic susceptibility showed frequency dependence in a 2000-Oe DC field, and the effective energy barrier for magnetization reorientation was 33(2) K. Thus, [{Tb2(C4O4)3(H2O)8}n] displayed functions of a potential luminescent magnet.

Peculiarity of the low temperature magnetoresistive effect in the Corbino disk with magnetic ordering

The transverse magnetoresistance (MR) hysteresis loops of a magnetically ordered Corbino disk have been studied in the temperature range 300–2 K in an external magnetic field with induction up to 1 T oriented in the plane of the disk (ϕ = 0°) and perpendicularly to its plane (ϕ = 90°). The Corbino disk is made of a thin permalloy film obtained on an insulating sitall substrate by ion-beam sputtering. Independently of the temperature and measurement geometry, the field dependences of MR in the range of weak magnetic fields up to the magnetisation saturation exhibit sharp peaks of the negative MR caused by the domain walls motion during the magnetisation reversal of the sample. The position of the peak in the magnetic field (Bp) is determined by the temperature as well as the angle between magnetic field direction and the disk plane. It was found that a temperature change in the range of T = 300–2 K leads to a change in its position in the range of 0.2–6.0 mT and 8–22 mT at ϕ = 0° and ϕ = 90°, respectively. The magnetic field direction reorientation from in-plane to out-of-pane at T = 2 K leads to the Bp change from 6 to 22 mT. In the range of strong magnetic fields above the magnetization saturation field at ϕ = 0° the positive MR component decreases with induction and has a linear non-saturable dependence down to T ≈ 40–50 K due to the magnon MR component dominance. The complete freezing of magnons at T = 2 K leads to the absence of high-field magnetoresistive effect. At ϕ = 90° in weak fields, the MR changes its sign from positive to negative due to the anisotropic MR component dominance because of the disk magnetisation reorientation perpendicular to the current lines. In a strong field it changes the slope due to the saturation of negative anisotropic MR component, as well as possible additional contribution of the positive geometric Lorentzian MR.

Magnetic structures and spin reorientation in the B-site disordered perovskite PrFe0.5Cr0.5O3

Through the detailed studies utilizing x-ray and neutron powder diffraction and magnetometry measurements, we report the magnetic phase transitions in the B-site disorder perovskite oxide PrFe0.5Cr0.5O3. The Fe3+/Cr3+ sublattice was observed to form a long-range magnetic order with the GxFz configuration below TN = 270 K from neutron powder diffraction. It then undergoes the second-order phase transition to FxGz spin configuration below 210 K and the transition ends at ~170 K. On the other hand, long range magnetic ordering with FxCy configuration at Pr3+ sublattice can be identified at base temperature. The magnetic phase diagram is derived with spontaneous spin ordering and reorientation at A- and B-sublattices.

Multistage development of anisotropic magnetic correlations in the Co-based honeycomb lattice Na2Co2TeO6

We investigate the thermal evolution of magnetic correlations of the Co-based honeycomb lattice ${\mathrm{Na}}_{2}{\mathrm{Co}}_{2}{\mathrm{TeO}}_{6}$ with $^{23}\mathrm{Na}$ nuclear magnetic resonance and static magnetic susceptibility $\ensuremath{\chi}(T)$. The studied compound shows three-dimensional (3D) long-range magnetic ordering at ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}=26$ K. On cooling through ${T}^{*}\ensuremath{\approx}110$ K, a simple paramagnetic state undergoes a crossover to a correlated paramagnetic state featuring a power-law dependence of the nuclear spin-lattice $(1/{T}_{1})$ and spin-spin $(1/{T}_{2})$ relaxation rates as well as of the out-of-plane $\ensuremath{\chi}(T)$. The magnetic-field-direction dependence of $1/{T}_{1}$, $1/{T}_{2}$, and $\ensuremath{\chi}(T)$ uncovers anisotropic spin-spin correlations of a two-dimensional (2D) renormalized classical character. In a magnetically ordered state, we are able to identify four successive transitions or crossovers occurring at ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}=26$, ${T}_{\mathrm{N}1}=16$, ${T}_{\mathrm{N}2}=7$, and ${T}_{\mathrm{N}3}=3.5$ K. The multiple transitions and crossovers are associated with the coexistence of 2D and 3D magnetic orders or reorientation of the ordered spins. Our results suggest the presence of various types of frustrating interactions and their energy hierarchy that control complex magnetic structures and anisotropic magnetism.

Magnonic control of the superconducting spin valve by magnetization reorientation in a helimagnet

We propose a method to control a bilayer superconducting spin valve (SSV) which does not perturb its superconducting state and is suitable for energy saving cryogenic electronics. This SSV consists of a superconducting layer and a helimagnetic layer of B20 family compounds, namely, Nb and spiral antiferromagnet MnSi. Thanks to unique properties of MnSi—broken inversion symmetry and cubic crystal lattice—there are a few ground state magnetic configurations with different directions of the magnetic spiral, divided by a potential barrier. Superconductivity in such a bilayer is controlled by the reorientation of the spiral vector in the MnSi layer, which leads to a change in the critical temperature of the Nb layer due to the proximity effect. The switching is proposed to be carried out by a several hundred ps in duration magnetic field pulse of several kOe in magnitude. Such a pulse does not destroy the superconducting state of the Nb layer by itself but leads to the excitation of magnons in the MnSi layer, which triggers the reorientation process of the magnetic spiral. After the completion of this process, the Nb layer switches into a normal state. Inverse switching returns the spiral to the initial state, opening the valve and turning on the superconducting state. The system can be switched there and back by a magnetic field of opposite signs along one direction in the layers plane, which allows an easy control. The switching time is estimated as several nanoseconds, which coincides with the scales of the STT-MRAM recording time.

High-Frequency Magnetoimpedance (MI) and Stress-MI in Amorphous Microwires with Different Anisotropies.

Magnetoimpedance (MI) in Co-based microwires with an amorphous and partially crystalline state was investigated at elevated frequencies (up to several GHz), with particular attention paid to the influence of tensile stress on the MI behavior, which is called stress-MI. Two mechanisms of MI sensitivity related to the DC magnetization re-orientation and AC permeability dispersion were discussed. Remarkable sensitivity of impedance changes with respect to applied tensile stress at GHz frequencies was obtained in partially crystalline wires subjected to current annealing. Increasing the annealing current enhanced the axial easy anisotropy of a magnetoelastic origin, which made it possible to increase the frequency of large stress-MI: for 90mA-annealed wire, the impedance at 2 GHz increased by about 300% when a stress of 450 MPa was applied. Potential applications included sensing elements in stretchable substrates for flexible electronics, wireless sensors, and tunable smart materials. For reliable microwave measurements, an improved SOLT (short-open-load-thru) calibration technique was developed that required specially designed strip cells as wire holders. The method made it possible to precisely measure the impedance characteristics of individual wires, which can be further employed to characterize the microwave scattering at wire inclusions used as composites fillers.

Single-Domain Multiferroic Array-Addressable Terfenol-D (SMArT) Micromagnets for Programmable Single-Cell Capture and Release.

Programming magnetic fields with microscale control can enable automation at the scale of single cells ≈10µm. Most magnetic materials provide a consistent magnetic field over time but the direction or field strength at the microscale is not easily modulated. However, magnetostrictive materials, when coupled with ferroelectric material (i.e., strain-mediated multiferroics), can undergo magnetization reorientation due to voltage-induced strain, promising refined control of magnetization at the micrometer-scale. This work demonstrates the largest single-domain microstructures (20µm) of Terfenol-D (Tb0.3 Dy0.7 Fe1.92 ), a material that has the highest magnetostrictive strain of any known soft magnetoelastic material. These Terfenol-D microstructures enable controlled localization of magnetic beads with sub-micrometer precision. Magnetically labeled cells are captured by the field gradients generated from the single-domain microstructures without an external magnetic field. The magnetic state on these microstructures is switched through voltage-induced strain, as a result of the strain-mediated converse magnetoelectric effect, to release individual cells using a multiferroic approach. These electronically addressable micromagnets pave the way for parallelized multiferroics-based single-cell sorting under digital control for biotechnology applications.

Magnetic control of superconducting heterostructures using compensated antiferromagnets

Due to the lack of a net magnetization both at the interface and in the bulk, antiferromagnets with compensated interfaces may appear incapable of influencing the phase transition in an adjacent superconductor via the spin degree of freedom. We here demonstrate that such an assertion is incorrect by showing that proximity-coupling a compensated antiferromagnetic layer to a superconductor-ferromagnet heterostructure introduces the possibility of controlling the superconducting phase transition. The superconducting critical temperature can in fact be modulated by rotating the magnetization of the single ferromagnetic layer within the plane of the interface, although the system is invariant under rotations of the magnetization in the absence of the antiferromagnetic layer. Moreover, we predict that the superconducting phase transition can trigger a reorientation of the ground state magnetization. Our results show that a compensated antiferromagnetic interface is in fact able to distinguish between different spin-polarizations of triplet Cooper pairs.