Determination of interface atomic structure and its impact on spin transport using Z-contrast microscopy and density-functional theory

Structure prediction of epitaxial inorganic interfaces by lattice and surface matching with Ogre

We present a new version of the Ogre open source Python package with the capability to perform structure prediction of epitaxial inorganic interfaces by lattice and surface matching. In the lattice matching step, a scan over combinations of substrate and film Miller indices is performed to identify the domain-matched interfaces with the lowest mismatch. Subsequently, surface matching is conducted by Bayesian optimization to find the optimal interfacial distance and in-plane registry between the substrate and the film. For the objective function, a geometric score function is proposed based on the overlap and empty space between atomic spheres at the interface. The score function reproduces the results of density functional theory (DFT) at a fraction of the computational cost. The optimized interfaces are pre-ranked using a score function based on the similarity of the atomic environment at the interface to the bulk environment. Final ranking of the top candidate structures is performed with DFT. Ogre streamlines DFT calculations of interface energies and electronic properties by automating the construction of interface models. The application of Ogre is demonstrated for two interfaces of interest for quantum computing and spintronics, Al/InAs and Fe/InSb.

Control of Spin-Orbit Torques by Interface Engineering in Topological Insulator Heterostructures

(Bi_1-xSb_x)₂Te₃ topological insulators (TIs) are gathering increasing attention owing to their large charge-to-spin conversion efficiency and the ensuing spin-orbit torques (SOTs) that can be used to manipulate the magnetization of a ferromagnet (FM). The origin of the torques, however, remains elusive, while the implications of hybridized states and the strong material intermixing at the TI/FM interface are essentially unexplored. By combining interface chemical analysis and spin-transfer ferromagnetic resonance (ST-FMR) measurements, we demonstrate that intermixing plays a critical role in the generation of SOTs. By inserting a suitable normal metal spacer, material intermixing is reduced and the TI properties at the interface are largely improved, resulting in strong variations in the nature of the SOTs. A dramatic enhancement of a field-like torque, opposing and surpassing the Oersted-field torque, is observed, which can be attributed to the non-equilibrium spin density in Rashba-split surface bands and to the suppression of spin memory loss. These phenomena can play a relevant role at other interfaces, such as those comprising transition metal dichalcogenides.

Growth, structure and morphology of epitaxial Fe(0 0 1) films on GaAs(0 0 1)c(4 × 4)

We studied epitaxy, growth, structure and morphology of thin Fe(0 0 1) films on the As-rich GaAs(0 0 1)-c(4 × 4) surface, deposited by molecular beam epitaxy at growth temperatures between room temperature and 250° C. Electron and x-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques evidence epitaxial growth with Fe(0 0 1)[1 0 0] ∥ GaAs(0 0 1)[1 0 0]. The residual strain derived from the XRD results is consistent with recent stress measurements. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy reveals an abrupt interface for room-temperature films and the formation of a ∼10 nm thick crystalline Fe-Ga-As intermediate layer at 250° C. The dependence of the surface morphology on growth temperature and annealing evidences a kinetic roughening of the Fe surface at growth temperatures of 100-200° C due to the presence of step-edge barriers.

Magnetic control of spin-orbit fields: a first-principles study of Fe/GaAs junctions

The microscopic structure of spin-orbit fields for the technologically important Fe/GaAs interface is uncovered from first principles. A symmetry based method allows us to obtain the spin-orbit fields-both their magnitude and orientation-for a generic Bloch state, from the electronic band structure for any in-plane magnetization orientation. It is demonstrated that the spin-orbit fields depend not only on the electric field across the interface, but also surprisingly strongly on the Fe magnetization orientation, opening prospects for their magnetic control. These results give important clues in searching for spin-orbit transport and optical phenomena in ferromagnet/nonmagnet heterostructures.

Stress and interdiffusion during molecular beam epitaxy of Fe on As-rich GaAs(001)

Interdiffusion during growth of Fe on As-rich GaAs(001) substrates has been investigated by real time stress measurements. Compared to Ga-rich GaAs(001), interdiffusion processes are decisively reduced. The optimum growth temperature (characterized by abrupt interfaces, pseudomorphic growth and negligible intermixing) is found to lie below 50 °C. At higher growth temperatures interdiffusion effects increase and eventually lead to the formation of a compact crystalline alloy layer of presumably Fe(2 + x)Ga(1 - x), as evidenced by transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction.

Interface atomic-scale structure and its impact on quantum electron transport

Local structure, chemistry, and bonding at interfaces often radically affect the properties of materials. A combination of scanning transmission electron microscopy and density functional theory calculations reveals an atomic layer of carbon at a SiC/Ti3 SiC2 interface in Ohmic contact to p-type SiC, which results in stronger adhesion, a lowered Schottky barrier, and enhanced transport. This is a key factor to understanding the origin of the Ohmic nature.

Semiconductor spintronics

Spintronics refers commonly to phenomena in which the spin of electrons in a solid state environment plays the determining role. In a more narrow sense spintronics is an emerging research field of electronics: spintronics devices are based on a spin control of electronics, or on an electrical and optical control of spin or magnetism. While metal spintronics has already found its niche in the computer industry—giant magnetoresistance systems are used as hard disk read heads—semiconductor spintronics is yet to demonstrate its full potential. This review presents selected themes of semiconductor spintronics, introducing important concepts in spin transport, spin injection, Silsbee-Johnson spin-charge coupling, and spin-dependent tunneling, as well as spin relaxation and spin dynamics. The most fundamental spin-dependent interaction in nonmagnetic semiconductors is spin-orbit coupling. Depending on the crystal symmetries of the material, as well as on the structural properties of semiconductor based heterostructures, the spin-orbit coupling takes on different functional forms, giving a nice playground of effective spin-orbit Hamiltonians. The effective Hamiltonians for the most relevant classes of materials and heterostructures are derived here from realistic electronic band structure descriptions. Most semiconductor device systems are still theoretical concepts, waiting for experimental demonstrations. A review of selected proposed, and a few demonstrated devices is presented, with detailed description of two important classes: magnetic resonant tunnel structures and bipolar magnetic diodes and transistors. In view of the importance of ferromagnetic semiconductor materials, a brief discussion of diluted magnetic semiconductors is included. In most cases the presentation is of tutorial style, introducing the essential theoretical formalism at an accessible level, with case-study-like illustrations of actual experimental results, as well as with brief reviews of relevant recent achievements in the field.

Electronic measurement and control of spin transport in silicon

The spin lifetime and diffusion length of electrons are transport parameters that define the scale of coherence in spintronic devices and circuits. As these parameters are many orders of magnitude larger in semiconductors than in metals, semiconductors could be the most suitable for spintronics. So far, spin transport has only been measured in direct-bandgap semiconductors or in combination with magnetic semiconductors, excluding a wide range of non-magnetic semiconductors with indirect bandgaps. Most notable in this group is silicon, Si, which (in addition to its market entrenchment in electronics) has long been predicted a superior semiconductor for spintronics with enhanced lifetime and transport length due to low spin-orbit scattering and lattice inversion symmetry. Despite this promise, a demonstration of coherent spin transport in Si has remained elusive, because most experiments focused on magnetoresistive devices; these methods fail because of a fundamental impedance mismatch between ferromagnetic metal and semiconductor, and measurements are obscured by other magnetoelectronic effects. Here we demonstrate conduction-band spin transport across 10 mum undoped Si in a device that operates by spin-dependent ballistic hot-electron filtering through ferromagnetic thin films for both spin injection and spin detection. As it is not based on magnetoresistance, the hot-electron spin injection and spin detection avoids impedance mismatch issues and prevents interference from parasitic effects. The clean collector current shows independent magnetic and electrical control of spin precession, and thus confirms spin coherent drift in the conduction band of silicon.

Spin extraction theory and its relevance to spintronics

Extraction of electrons from a semiconductor to a ferromagnet as well as the case of injection in the reverse direction may be formulated as a scattering theory. However, the presence of bound states at the interface arising out of doping on the semiconductor side must be taken into account in the scattering theory. Inclusion of the interface states yields an explanation of a recent result of spin-imaging measurement which contradicts the current understanding of spin extraction. The importance of an extraction theory to spintronics is illustrated by an application to a spin switch.

Spectroscopic measurement of spin-dependent resonant tunneling through a 3D disorder: the case of MnAs/GaAs/MnAs junctions

We propose an analytical model of spin-dependent resonant tunneling through a 3D assembly of localized states (spread out in energy and in space) in a barrier. An inhomogeneous distribution of localized states leads to resonant tunneling magnetoresistance inversion and asymmetric bias dependence as evidenced with a set of experiments with MnAs/GaAs(7-10 nm)/MnAs tunnel junctions. One of the key parameters of our theory is a dimensionless critical exponent beta scaling the typical extension of the localized states over the characteristic length scale of the spatial distribution function. Furthermore, we demonstrate, through experiments with localized states introduced preferentially in the middle of the barrier, the influence of an homogeneous distribution on the spin-dependent transport properties.