Current-driven magnetization reversal in a ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As/GaAs/(Ga,Mn)As tunnel junction

Ferromagnetism modulation by ultralow current in a two-dimensional polycrystalline molybdenum disulphide atomic layered structure

Layered materials, such as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides, are able to obtain new properties and functions through the modification of their crystal arrangements. In particular, ferromagnetism in polycrystalline MoS₂ is of great interest because the corresponding nonmagnetic single crystals exhibit spontaneous spin splitting only through the formation of grain boundaries. However, no one has reported direct evidence of this unique phenomenon thus far. Herein, we demonstrate ferromagnetism modulation by an ultralow current density < 10³ A/cm² in 7.5-nm-thick polycrystalline MoS₂, in which magnetoresistance shows three patterns according to the current intensity: wide dip, nondip and narrow dip structures. Since magnetoresistance occurs because of the interaction between the current of 4d electrons in the bulk and localized 4d spins in grain boundaries, this result provides evidence of the current modulation of ferromagnetism induced by grain boundaries. Our findings pave the way for the investigation of a novel method of magnetization switching with low power consumption for magnetic random access memories.

Large magnetoelectric coupling in Co4Nb2O9

Magnetoelectric materials which simultaneously exhibit electric polarization and magnetism have attracted more and more attention due to their novel physical properties and promising applications for next-generation devices. Exploring new materials with outstanding magnetoelectric performance, especially the manipulation of magnetization by electric field, is of great importance. Here, we demonstrate the cross-coupling between magnetic and electric orders in polycrystalline Co₄Nb₂O₉, in which not only magnetic-field-induced electric polarization but also electric field control of magnetism is observed. These results reveal rich physical phenomenon and potential applications in this compound.

Stochastic current-induced magnetization switching in a single semiconducting ferromagnetic layer

We show experimental evidence of magnetization switching in a single (Ga,Mn)(As,P) semiconducting ferromagnetic layer, attributed to a strong reduction of the magnetization and the anisotropy due to current injection. The nucleation of magnetization reversal is found to occur even in the absence of a magnetic field and to be both anisotropic and stochastic. Our findings highlight a new mechanism of magnetization manipulation based on spin accumulation in a semiconductor material.

Enhancing the Curie temperature of ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As to 200 K via nanostructure engineering

We demonstrate by magneto-transport measurements that a Curie temperature as high as 200 K can be obtained in nanostructures of (Ga,Mn)As. Heavily Mn-doped (Ga,Mn)As films were patterned into nanowires and then subject to low-temperature annealing. Resistance and Hall effect measurements demonstrated a consistent increase of T(C) with decreasing wire width down to about 300 nm. This observation is attributed primarily to the increase of the free surface in the narrower wires, which allows the Mn interstitials to diffuse out at the sidewalls, thus enhancing the efficiency of annealing. These results may provide useful information on optimal structures for (Ga,Mn)As-based nanospintronic devices operational at relatively high temperatures.

Current-induced torques in the presence of spin-orbit coupling

In systems with strong spin-orbit coupling, the relationship between spin transfer torque and the divergence of the spin current is generalized to a relation between spin transfer torques, total angular momentum current, and mechanical torques. In ferromagnetic semiconductors, where the spin-orbit coupling is large, these considerations modify the behavior of the spin transfer torques. One example is a persistent spin transfer torque in a spin valve: the spin transfer torque does not decay away from the interface but approaches a constant value. A second example is a mechanical torque at a single ferromagnetic-nonmagnetic interface.

Element Specific Versus Integral Structural and Magnetic Properties of Co:ZnO and Gd:GaN Probed with Hard X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy

Dilute magnetic semiconductors (DMS) are envisioned as sources of spin-polarized carriers for future semiconductor devices which simultaneously utilize spin and charge of the carriers. The hope of discovering a DMS with ferromagnetic order up to room temperature still motivates research on suitable DMS materials. Two candidate wide-band gap DMS are Gd:GaN and Co:ZnO. We have used hard X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) and in particular X-ray linear dichroism (XLD) and X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD) to study both DMS materials with element specificity and compare these findings with results from integral SQUID magnetometry as well as electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR).

The emergence of spin electronics in data storage

Electrons have a charge and a spin, but until recently these were considered separately. In classical electronics, charges are moved by electric fields to transmit information and are stored in a capacitor to save it. In magnetic recording, magnetic fields have been used to read or write the information stored on the magnetization, which 'measures' the local orientation of spins in ferromagnets. The picture started to change in 1988, when the discovery of giant magnetoresistance opened the way to efficient control of charge transport through magnetization. The recent expansion of hard-disk recording owes much to this development. We are starting to see a new paradigm where magnetization dynamics and charge currents act on each other in nanostructured artificial materials. Ultimately, 'spin currents' could even replace charge currents for the transfer and treatment of information, allowing faster, low-energy operations: spin electronics is on its way.

Exchange-mediated anisotropy of (ga,mn)as valence-band probed by resonant tunneling spectroscopy

We report on experiments and theory of resonant tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance (TAMR) in AlAs/GaAs/AlAs quantum wells (QW) contacted by a (Ga,Mn)As ferromagnetic electrode. Such resonance effects manifest themselves by bias-dependent oscillations of the TAMR signal correlated to the successive positions of heavy (HH) and light (LH) quantized hole energy levels in GaAs QW. We have modeled the experimental data by calculating the spin-dependent resonant tunneling transmission in the frame of the 6 x 6 valence-band k.p theory. The calculations emphasize the opposite contributions of the (Ga,Mn)As HH and LH subbands near the Gamma point, unraveling the anatomy of the diluted magnetic semiconductor valence band.

Thermal spin-transfer torque in magnetoelectronic devices

We predict that the magnetization direction of a ferromagnet can be reversed by the spin-transfer torque accompanying spin-polarized thermoelectric heat currents. We illustrate the concept by applying a finite-element theory of thermoelectric transport in disordered magnetoelectronic circuits and devices to metallic spin valves. When thermalization is not complete, a spin heat accumulation vector is found in the normal-metal spacer, i.e., a directional imbalance in the temperature of majority and minority spins.

Detection of current-induced spins by ferromagnetic contacts

Detection of current-induced spin accumulation via ferromagnetic contacts is discussed. Onsager's relations forbid that in a two-probe configuration, spins excited by currents in time-reversal symmetric systems can be detected by switching the magnetization of a ferromangetic detector contact. Nevertheless, current-induced spins can be transferred as a torque to a contact magnetization and can affect the charge currents in many-terminal configurations. We demonstrate the general concepts by solving the microscopic transport equations for the diffuse Rashba system with magnetic contacts.

Spin transfer in magnetic tunnel junctions with hot electrons

Recent data on the bias dependence of the spin transfer effect in magnetic tunnel junctions have shown that torque remains intact at bias voltages for which the tunneling magnetoresistance has been strongly reduced. We show that the current induced excitations due to hot electrons, while reducing the magnetoresistance, enhance both the charge current and the spin transfer in magnetic tunnel junctions in such a manner that the ratio of the torque to the charge current does not significantly change.

Domain wall creation in nanostructures driven by a spin-polarized current

We report on current-driven magnetization reversal in nanopillars with elements having perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Whereas only the two uniform magnetization states are available under the action of a magnetic field, we observed current-induced Bloch domain walls in pillars as small as 50 x 100 nm(2). This domain wall state can be further controlled by current to restore the uniform states. The ability to nucleate and manipulate domain walls by a current gives insight into the reversal mechanisms of small nanoelements and provides new prospects for ultrahigh density spintronic devices.

Velocity of domain-wall motion induced by electrical current in the ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As

Current-induced domain-wall motion with velocity spanning over 5 orders of magnitude up to 22 m/s has been observed by the magneto-optical Kerr effect in (Ga,Mn)As with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The data are employed to verify theories of spin transfer by the Slonczewski-like mechanism as well as by the torque resulting from spin-flip transitions in the domain-wall region. Evidence for domain-wall creep at low currents is found.

Spin reorientation transition in single-domain

We demonstrate that the interplay of in-plane biaxial and uniaxial anisotropy fields in results in a spin reorientation transition and an anisotropic ac susceptibility which is fully consistent with a simple single-domain model. The uniaxial and biaxial anisotropy constants vary, respectively, as the square and fourth power of the spontaneous magnetization across the whole temperature range up to . The weakening of the anisotropy at the transition may be of technological importance for applications involving thermally assisted magnetization switching.

Effect of spin current on uniform ferromagnetism: domain nucleation

A large spin current applied to a uniform ferromagnet leads to a spin-wave instability as pointed out recently. In this Letter, it is shown that such spin-wave instability is absent in a state containing a domain wall, which indicates that nucleation of magnetic domains occurs above a certain critical spin current. This scenario is supported also by an explicit energy comparison of the two states under spin current.