Exchange bias in ferromagnet/antiferromagnet bilayers

Since the exchange bias （EB） effect was discovered in the Co/CoO core-shell nanoparticles, it has been extensively studied in various ferromagnet （FM）/antiferromagnet （AFM） bilayers due to its crucial role in spintronics devices. In this article, we review the investigation of the EB in our research group. First, we outline basic features of the EB, including the effects of the constituent layer thickness, the microstructure and magnetization of the FM layers, and we also discuss asymmetric magnetization reversal process in wedged-FM/AFM bilayers. Secondly, we discuss the mechanisms of the positive EB and the perpendicular EB. Thirdly, we demonstrate the hysteretic behavior of the angular dependence of the EB and analyze the EB training effect. Finally, we discuss the roles of the rotatable anisotropy in the two phenomena.

Flexible tuning microwave permeability spectrum in [ferromagnet/antiferromagnet]_n exchange-biased multilayer stack structure

NiFe/[IrMn/NiFe/IrMn] 5 /[NiFe/IrMn] 4 /NiFe structured exchange-biased multilayer films are designed and prepared by magnetron sputtering. The static and the microwave magnetic properties are systematically investigated. The results reveal that adding a partially pinned ferromagnetic layer can effectively broaden the ferromagnetic resonance linewidth toward the low frequency domain. Moreover, a wideband multi-peak permeability spectrum with a 3.1-GHz linewidth is obtained by overlapping the spectra of different partially pinned ferromagnetic layers and [antiferromagnet/ferromagnet/antiferromagnet] n stacks. Our results show that the linewidth of the sample can be feasibly tuned through controlling the proper exchange bias fields of different stacks. The designed multilayered thin films have potential application for a tunable wideband high frequency noise filter.

Stacking-dependent exchange bias in two-dimensional ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic bilayers

A clear microscopic understanding of exchange bias is crucial for its application in magnetic recording, and further progress in this area is desired. Based on the results of our first-principles calculations and Monte Carlo simulations,we present a theoretical proposal for a stacking-dependent exchange bias in two-dimensional compensated van der Waals ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic bilayer heterostructures. The exchange bias effect emerges in stacking registries that accommodate inhomogeneous interlayer magnetic interactions between the ferromagnetic layer and different spin sublattices of the antiferromagnetic layer. Moreover, the on/off switching and polarity reversal of the exchange bias can be achieved by interlayer sliding, and the strength can be modulated using an external electric field. Our findings push the limits of exchange bias systems to extreme bilayer thickness in two-dimensional van der Waals heterostructures, potentially stimulating new experimental investigations and applications.

Negative magnetoresistance in the antiferromagnetic semimetal V_(1/3)TaS_(2)

Intercalated transition metal dichalcogenides(TMDCs)attract much attention due to their rich properties and potential applications.In this article,we grew successfully high-quality V_(1/3)TaS_(2) crystals by a vapor transport method.We measured the magnetization,longitudinal resistivityρxx(T,H),Hall resistivityρxy(T,H),as well as performed calculations of the electronic band structure.It was found that V_(1/3)TaS_(2) is an A-type antiferromagnet with the Neel temperature T_(N)=6.20 K,and exhibits a negative magnetoresistance(MR)near T_(N).Both band structure calculations and Hall resistivity measurements demonstrated it is a magnetic semimetal.

Spin gap in quasi-one-dimensional S=3/2 antiferromagnet CoTi2O5

Quasi-one-dimensional(1D)antiferromagnets are known to display intriguing phenomena especially when there is a spin gap in their spin-excitation spectra.Here we demonstrate that a spin gap exists in the quasi-1D Heisenberg antiferromagnet CoTi2O5 with highly ordered Co2+/Ti4+occupation,in which the Co2+ions with S=3/2 form a 1D spin chain along the a-axis.CoTi2O5 undergoes an antiferromagnetic transition at TN~24 K and exhibits obvious anisotropic magnetic susceptibility even in the paramagnetic region.Although a gapless magnetic ground state is usually expected in a quasi-1D Heisenberg antiferromagnet with half-integer spins,by analyzing the specific heat,the thermal conductivity,and the spin-lattice relaxation rate(1/T1)as a function of temperature,we found that a spin gap is opened in the spin-excitation spectrum of CoTi2O5 around TN,manifested by the rapid decrease of magnetic specific heat to zero,the double-peak characteristic in thermal conductivity,and the exponential decay of 1/T1 below TN.Both the magnetic measurements and the first-principles calculations results indicate that there is spin-orbit coupling in CoTi2O5,which induces the magnetic anisotropy in CoTi2O5,and then opens the spin gap at low temperature.

C-Type Antiferromagnetic Structure of Topological Semimetal CaMnSb_(2)

Determination of the magnetic structure and confirmation of the presence or absence of inversion(P)and time reversal(Τ)symmetry is imperative for correctly understanding the topological magnetic materials.Here highquality single crystals of the layered manganese pnictide CaMnSb_(2)are synthesized using the self-flux method.

Magnetism, heat capacity, magnetocaloric effect, and magneto-transport properties of heavy fermion antiferromagnet CeGaSi

We synthesize high-quality single crystal of CeGaSi by a Ga self-flux method and investigate its physical properties through magnetic susceptibility,specific heat and electrical resistivity measurements as well as high pressure effect.Magnetic measurements reveal that an antiferromagnetic order develops below T_(m)~10.4 K with magnetic moments orientated in the ab plane.The enhanced electronic specific heat coefficient and the negative logarithmic slope in the resistivity of CeGaSi indicate that the title compound belongs to the family of Kondo system with heavy fermion ground states.The max magnetic entropy change-ΔS_(M)^(max)(μ_(0)H⊥c,μ_(0)H=7 T) around T_(m) is found to reach up to 11.85 J·kg^(-1)·K^(-1).Remarkably,both the antiferromagnetic transition temperature and-ln T behavior increase monotonically with pressure applied to 20 kbar(1 bar=10~5 Pa),indicating that much higher pressure will be needed to reach its quantum critical point.

In-phase and out-of-phase spin pumping effects in Py/Ru/Pysynthetic antiferromagnetic structures

The spin pumping effect in magnetic heterostructures and multilayers is a highly effective method for the generationand transmission of spin currents. In the increasingly prominent synthetic antiferromagnetic structures, the two ferromagneticlayers demonstrate in-phase and out-of-phase states, corresponding to acoustic and optical precession modes. Withinthis context, our study explores the spin pumping effect in Py/Ru/Py synthetic antiferromagnetic structures across differentmodes. The heightened magnetic damping resulting from the spin pumping effect in the in-phase state initially decreaseswith increasing Py thickness before stabilizing. Conversely, in the out-of-phase state, the amplified damping exceeds thatof the in-phase state, suggesting a greater spin relaxation within this configuration, which demonstrates sensitivity to alterationsin static exchange interactions. These findings contribute to advancing the application of synthetic antiferromagneticstructures in magnonic devices.

Angular and planar transport properties of antiferromagnetic V_(5)S_(8)

Systemically angular and planar transport investigations are performed in layered antiferromagnetic(AF)V_(5)S_(8).In this AF system,obvious anomalous Hall effect(AHE)is observed with a large Hall angle of 0.1 compared to that in ferromagnetic(FM)system.It can persist to the temperatures above AF transition and exhibit strong angular field dependence.The phase diagram reveals various magnetic states by rotating the applied field.By analyzing the anisotropic transport behavior,magnon contributions are revealed and exhibit obvious angular dependence with a spin-flop vanishing line.The observed prominent planar Hall effect and anisotropic magnetoresisitivity exhibit two-fold systematical angular dependent oscillations.These behaviors are attributed to the scattering from spin–orbital coupling instead of nontrivial topological origin.Our results reveal anisotropic interactions of magnetism and electron in V5S8,suggesting potential opportunities for the AF spintronic sensor and devices.

Coexistence of antiferromagnetism and unconventional superconductivity in a quasi-one-dimensional flat-band system:Creutz lattice

We study the coexistence of antiferromagnetism and unconventional superconductivity on the Creutz lattice which shows strictly flat bands in the noninteracting regime.The famous renormalized mean-field theory is used to deal with strong electron-electron repulsive Hubbard interaction in the effective low-energy t-J model,the superfluid weight of the unconventional superconducting state has been calculated via the linear response theory.An unconventional superconducting state with both spin-singlet and staggered spin-triplet pairs emerges beyond a critical antiferromagnetic coupling interaction,while antiferromagnetism accompanies this state.The superconducting state with only spin-singlet pairs is dominant with paramagnetic phase.The A phase is analogous to the pseudogap phase,which shows that electrons go to form pairs but do not cause a supercurrent.We also show the superfluid behavior of the unconventional superconducting state and its critical temperature.It is proven directly that the flat band can effectively raise the critical temperature of superconductivity.It is implementable to simulate and control strongly-correlated electrons'behavior on the Creutz lattice in the ultracold atoms experiment or other artificial structures.Our results may help the understanding of the interplay between unconventional superconductivity and magnetism.

Ultrafast antiferromagnet rearrangement in Co/IrMn/CoGd trilayers

Antiferromagnets offer great potential for high-speed data processing applications,as they can expend spintronic devices from a static storage and gigahertz frequency range to the terahertz range.However,their zero net magnetization makes them difficult to manipulate and detect.In recent years,there has been a lot of attention given to the ultrafast manipulation of magnetic order using ultra-short single laser pulses,but it remains unknown whether a similar scenario can be observed in antiferromagnets.In this work,we demonstrate the manipulation of antiferromagnets with a single femtosecond laser pulse in perpendicular exchange-biased Co/Ir Mn/Co Gd trilayers.We study the dual exchange bias interlayer interaction in quasi-static conditions and competition in ultrafast antiferromagnet rearrangement.Our results show that,compared to conventional ferromagnetic/antiferromagnetic systems,the Ir Mn antiferromagnet can be ultrafast and efficiently manipulated by the coupled Co Gd ferrimagnetic layer,which paves the way for potential energy-efficient spintronic devices.

Skyrmion-based logic gates controlled by electric currents in synthetic antiferromagnet

Skyrmions in synthetic antiferromagnetic(SAF) systems have attracted much attention in recent years due to their superior stability, high-speed mobility, and completely compensated skyrmion Hall effect. They are promising building blocks for the next generation of magnetic storage and computing devices with ultra-low energy and ultra-high density.Here, we theoretically investigate the motion of a skyrmion in an SAF bilayer racetrack and find the velocity of a skyrmion can be controlled jointly by the edge effect and the driving force induced by the spin current. Furthermore, we propose a logic gate that can realize different logic functions of logic AND, OR, NOT, NAND, NOR, and XOR gates. Several effects including the spin–orbit torque, the skyrmion Hall effect, skyrmion–skyrmion repulsion, and skyrmion–edge interaction are considered in this design. Our work may provide a way to utilize the SAF skyrmion as a versatile information carrier for future energy-efficient logic gates.

Out-of-plane weak ferromagnetism at room temperature in lattice-distortion non-collinear antiferromagnet of single-crystal Mn_(3)Sn

Out-of-plane weak ferromagnetic(OWFM)spin arrangements with topological properties can realize a series of interesting physical properties.However,this spin structure tends to exist at low temperatures.The OWFM structure can also be induced at room temperature by hydrostatic pressure,whereas this isotropic approach tends to form helical AFM structures.We report the OWFM spin arrangement in single crystal Mn_(3)Sn by an anisotropic strategy of high-stressconstrained compression deformation at room temperature.Both experimental and theoretical simulation results show that the alignment of the OWFM spin structure is due to the distortion of the atomic scale caused by the strain energy during deformation.The OWFM spin arrangement can significantly change the magnetic property of Mn_(3)Sn.As a result,the remanent magnetization M_(r)for the deformed sample(0.056μ_(B)/f.u.)is about eleven times that for the pre-deformed sample(0.005μ_(B)/f.u.),and the coercivity(H_(c))increases from 0 k Oe(pre-deformed sample)to 6.02 k Oe(deformed sample).Our findings provide a way to generate the OWFM spin structure at room temperature and may give fresh ideas for creating antiferromagnetic materials with excellent physical properties.

Magneto-optical Kerr and Faraday effects in bilayer antiferromagnetic insulators

Control and detection of antiferromagnetic topological materials are challenging since the total magnetization vanishes.Here we investigate the magneto-optical Kerr and Faraday effects in bilayer antiferromagnetic insulator Mn Bi2Te4.We find that by breaking the combined mirror symmetries with either perpendicular electric field or external magnetic moment,Kerr and Faraday effects occur.Under perpendicular electric field,antiferromagnetic topological insulators(AFMTI)show sharp peaks at the interband transition threshold,whereas trivial insulators show small adjacent positive and negative peaks.Gate voltage and Fermi energy can be tuned to reveal the differences between AFMTI and trivial insulators.We find that AFMTI with large antiferromagnetic order can be proposed as a pure magneto-optical rotator due to sizable Kerr(Faraday)angles and vanishing ellipticity.Under external magnetic moment,AFMTI and trivial insulators are significantly different in the magnitude of Kerr and Faraday angles and ellipticity.For the qualitative behaviors,AFMTI shows distinct features of Kerr and Faraday angles when the spin configurations of the system change.These phenomena provide new possibilities to optically detect and manipulate the layered topological antiferromagnets.

Strong spin frustration and magnetism in kagoméantiferromagnets LnCu_(3)(OH)_(6)Br_(3)(Ln=Nd,Sm,and Eu)

To study the effects of lanthanide ions on the geometrically frustrated antiferromagnets and their magnetic properties,we grew high-quality single crystals of LnCu_(3)(OH)_(6)Br_(3)(Ln=Nd,Sm,and Eu)by hydrothermal method and studied their crystal structures and magnetic properties.The refinements of the crystal structure referred to the powder x-ray diffraction data show that LnCu_(3)(OH)_(6)Br_(3)adopt a Kapellasite-type layer structure,which is isostructural to their chlorine analogue.Magnetic susceptibilities demonstrate that LnCu_(3)(OH)_(6)Br_(3)have strong antiferromagnetic coupling and a pronounced magnetic frustration effect.Magnetization measurements indicate canted antiferromagnetic ordering of Cu^(2+)ions around 16 K within the kagoméplane and weak ferromagnetic coupling.Moreover,shoulder-like anomalies in specific heat around 16 K could be a signature of emergent of magnetic ordering.The low-temperature negative magnetization and specific heat of LnCu_(3)(OH)_(6)Br_(3)(Ln=Nd,Sm,and Eu)indicate that Ln^(3+)ions induce more exotic magnetic ground state properties.

Investigation of magnetization reversal and domain structures in perpendicular synthetic antiferromagnets by first-order reversal curves and magneto-optical Kerr effect

Perpendicular synthetic-antiferromagnet(p-SAF) has broad applications in spin-transfer-torque magnetic random access memory and magnetic sensors. In this study, the p-SAF films consisting of (Co/Ni)3]/Ir(tIr)/[(Ni/Co)3are fabricated by magnetron sputtering technology. We study the domain structure and switching field distribution in p-SAF by changing the thickness of the infrared space layer. The strongest exchange coupling field(Hex) is observed when the thickness of Ir layer(tIr) is 0.7 nm and becoming weak according to the Ruderman–Kittel–Kasuya–Yosida-type coupling at 1.05 nm,2.1 nm, 4.55 nm, and 4.9 nm in sequence. Furthermore, the domain switching process between the upper Co/Ni stack and the bottom Co/Ni stack is different because of the antiferromagnet coupling. Compared with ferromagnet coupling films, the antiferromagnet samples possess three irreversible reversal regions in the first-order reversal curve distribution.With tIrincreasing, these irreversible reversal regions become denser and smaller. The results from this study will help us understand the details of the magnetization reversal process in the p-SAF.

Topological magnetotransport and electrical switching of sputtered antiferromagnetic Ir_(20)Mn_(80)

Topological magnetotransport in non-collinear antiferromagnets has attracted extensive attention due to the exotic phenomena such as large anomalous Hall effect(AHE),magnetic spin Hall effect,and chiral anomaly.The materials exhibiting topological antiferromagnetic physics are typically limited in special Mn_3X family such as Mn_3Sn and Mn_3Ge.Exploring the topological magnetotransport in common antiferromagnetic materials widely used in spintronics will not only enrich the platforms for investigating the non-collinear antiferromagnetic physics,but also have great importance for driving the nontrivial topological properties towards practical applications.Here,we report remarkable AHE,anisotropic and negative parallel magnetoresistance in the magnetron-sputtered Ir_(20)Mn_(80)antiferromagnet,which is one of the most widely used antiferromagnetic materials in industrial spintronics.The ab initio calculations suggest that the Ir_4Mn_(16)(IrMn_4)or Mn_3Ir nanocrystals hold nontrivial electronic band structures,which may contribute to the observed intriguing magnetotransport properties in the Ir_(20)Mn_(80).Further,we demonstrate the spin–orbit torque switching of the antiferromagnetic Ir_(20)Mn_(80)by the spin Hall current of Pt.The presented results highlight a great potential of the magnetron-sputtered Ir_(20)Mn_(80)film for exploring the topological antiferromagnet-based physics and spintronics applications.

Influence of exchange bias on spin torque ferromagnetic resonance for quantification of spin–orbit torque efficiency

Antiferromagnet(AFM)/ferromagnet(FM)heterostructure is a popular system for studying the spin–orbit torque(SOT)of AFMs.However,the interfacial exchange bias field induces that the magnetization in FM layer is noncollinear to the external magnetic field,namely the magnetic moment drag effect,which further influences the characteristic of SOT efficiency.In this work,we study the SOT efficiencies of IrMn/NiFe bilayers with strong interfacial exchange bias by using spin-torque ferromagnetic resonance(ST-FMR)method.A full analysis on the AFM/FM systems with exchange bias is performed,and the angular dependence of magnetization on external magnetic field is determined through the minimum rule of free energy.The ST-FMR results can be well fitted by this model.We obtained the relative accurate SOT efficiencyξ_(DL)=0.058 for the IrMn film.This work provides a useful method to analyze the angular dependence of ST-FMR results and facilitates the accurate measurement of SOT efficiency for the AFM/FM heterostructures with strong exchange bias.

Giant Magneto-Optical Effect in van der Waals Room-Temperature Ferromagnet Fe_(3)GaTe_(2)

The discovery of ferromagnetic two-dimensional(2D)van der Waals(vdWs)materials provides an opportunity to explore intriguing physics and to develop innovative spin electronic devices.However,the main challenge for practical applications of vd Ws ferromagnetic crystals lies in the weak intrinsic ferromagnetism and small perpendicular magnetic anisotropy(PMA)above room temperature.Here,we report the intrinsic vd Ws ferromagnetic crystal Fe_(3)GaTe_(2),synthesized by the self-flux method,exhibiting a Curie temperature(TC)of 370 K,a high saturation magnetization of 33.47 emu/g,and a large PMA energy density of approximately 4.17×10^(5)J/m^(3).Furthermore,the magneto-optical effect is systematically investigated in Fe_(3)GaTe_(2).The doubly degenerate E_(2g)(Γ)mode reverses the helicity of incident photons,indicating the existence of pseudoangular-momentum(PAM)and chirality.Meanwhile,the non-degenerate non-chiral A_(1g)(Γ)phonon exhibits a significant magneto-Raman effect under an external out-of-plane magnetic field.These results lay the groundwork for studying phonon chirality and magneto-optical phenomena in 2D magnetic materials,providing the feasibility for further fundamental research and applications in spintronic devices.

Simultaneous control of ferromagnetism and ferroelasticity by oxygen octahedral backbone stretching

Coexistence of ferromagnetism and ferroelasticity in a single material is an intriguing phenomenon,but has been rarely found.Here we studied both the ferromagnetism and ferroelasticity in a group of LaCoO3 films with systematically tuned atomic structures.We found that all films exhibit ferroelastic domains with four-fold symmetry and the larger domain size(higher elasticity)is always accompanied by stronger ferromagnetism.We performed synchrotron x-ray diffraction studies to investigate the backbone structure of the CoO6 octahedra,and found that both the ferromagnetism and the elasticity are simultaneously enhanced when the in-plane Co–O–Co bond angles are straightened.Therefore the study demonstrates the inextricable correlation between the ferromagnetism and ferroelasticity mediated through the octahedral backbone structure,which may open up new possibilities to develop multifunctional materials.