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1. Unidirectional response in spin-torque driven magnetization dynamics

   https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2321259  

   Sklenar, Joseph ; Zhang, Wei ; Jungfleisch, Matthias Benjamin ; Hoffmann, Axel ; Jaffrès, Henri ; Drouhin, Henri-Jean ; Wegrowe, Jean-Eric ; Razeghi, Manijeh ( September 2018 , Proceedings of SPIE)

   It was recently demonstrated in bilayers of permalloy and platinum, that by combining spin torques arising from the spin Hall effect with Oersted field-like torques, magnetization dynamics can be induced with a directional preference.1 This “unidirectional” magnetization dynamic effect is made possible by exploiting the different even and odd symmetry that damping-like and field-like torques respectively have when magnetization is reversed. The experimental method used to demonstrate this effect was the spin-torque ferromagnetic (ST-FMR) resonance technique; a popular tool used in the phenomenological quantification of a myriad of damping-like and field-like torques. In this report, we review the phenomenology which is used to describe and analyze the unidirectional magnetization dynamic effect in ST-FMR measurements. We will focus on how the asymmetry in the dynamics also is present in the phase angle of the magnetization precession. We conclude by demonstrating a utility of this directional effect; we will outline an improved experimental method that can be used to distinguish a phase-shifted field-like torque in a ST-FMR experiment from a combination of field-like and damping-like torques. 

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2. The spin polarization of palladium on magneto-electric Cr 2 O 3

   https://doi.org/10.1088/1361-648X/acc710  

   Komesu, Takashi ; Echtenkamp, Will ; Binek, Christian ; Dowben, Peter A. ( April 2023 , Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter)

   While induced spin polarization of a palladium (Pd) overlayer on antiferromagnetic and magneto-electric Cr₂O₃(0001) is possible because of the boundary polarization at the Cr₂O₃(0001), in the single domain state, the Pd thin film appears to be ferromagnetic on its own, likely as a result of strain. In the conduction band, we find the experimental evidence of ferromagnetic spin polarized in Pd thin films on a Cr₂O₃(0001) single crystal, especially in the thin limit, Pd thickness of around 1–4 nm. Indeed there is significant spin polarization in 10 Å thick Pd films on Cr₂O₃(0001) at 310 K, i.e. above the Néel temperature of bulk Cr₂O₃. While Cr₂O₃(0001) has surface moments that tend to align along the surface normal, for Pd on Cr₂O₃, the spin polarization contains an in-plane component. Strain in the Pd adlayer on Cr₂O₃(0001) appears correlated to the spin polarization measured in spin polarized inverse photoemission spectroscopy. Further evidence for magnetization of Pd on Cr₂O₃is provided by measurement of the exchange bias fields in Cr₂O₃/Pd(buffer)/[Co/Pd]_nexchange bias systems. The magnitude of the exchange bias field is, over a wide temperature range, virtually unaffected by the Pd thickness variation between 1 and 2 nm.

    

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3. Strong Damping‐Like Spin‐Orbit Torque and Tunable Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya Interaction Generated by Low‐Resistivity Pd 1− x Pt x Alloys

   https://doi.org/10.1002/adfm.201805822  

   Zhu, Lijun ; Sobotkiewich, Kemal ; Ma, Xin ; Li, Xiaoqin ; Ralph, Daniel C. ; Buhrman, Robert A. ( February 2019 , Advanced Functional Materials)

   Despite their great promise for providing a pathway for very efficient and fast manipulation of magnetization, spin‐orbit torque (SOT) operations are currently energy inefficient due to a low damping‐like SOT efficiency per unit current bias, and/or the very high resistivity of the spin Hall materials. This work reports an advantageous spin Hall material, Pd_1−xPt_x, which combines a low resistivity with a giant spin Hall effect as evidenced with three independent SOT ferromagnetic detectors. The optimal Pd_0.25Pt_0.75alloy has a giant internal spin Hall ratio of >0.60 (damping‐like SOT efficiency of ≈0.26 for all three ferromagnets) and a low resistivity of ≈57.5 µΩ cm at a 4 nm thickness. Moreover, it is found that the Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI), the key ingredient for the manipulation of chiral spin arrangements (e.g., magnetic skyrmions and chiral domain walls), is considerably strong at the Pd_1−xPt_x/Fe_0.6Co_0.2B_0.2interface when compared to that at Ta/Fe_0.6Co_0.2B_0.2or W/Fe_0.6Co_0.2B_0.2interfaces and can be tuned by a factor of 5 through control of the interfacial spin‐orbital coupling via the heavy metal composition. This work establishes a very effective spin current generator that combines a notably high energy efficiency with a very strong and tunable DMI for advanced chiral spintronics and spin torque applications.

    

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4. Enhancing Intrinsic Magnetic Hardness by Modulating Antagonistic Interactions in the Rare‐Earth‐Free Magnetic Solid Solution Hf 2 Fe 1−δ Ru 5−x Ir x+δ B 2

   https://doi.org/10.1002/chem.202303381  

   Luong, Diana ; Schumacher, Lars ; Kilic, Sam ; Haddon, Elena ; Pöttgen, Rainer ; Fokwa, Boniface P. T. ( January 2024 , Chemistry – A European Journal)

   The quinary members in the solid solution Hf₂Fe_1−δRu_5−xIr_x+δB₂(x=1–4, VE=63–66) have been investigated experimentally and computationally. They were synthesized via arc‐melting and analyzed by EDX and X‐ray diffraction. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations predicted a preference for magnetic ordering in all members, but with a strong competition between ferro‐ and antiferromagnetism arising from interchain Fe−Fe interactions. The spin exchange and magnetic anisotropy energies predicted the lowest magnetic hardness forx=1 and 3 and the highest forx=2. Magnetization measurements confirm the DFT predictions and demonstrate that the antiferromagnetic ordering (T_N=55–70 K) found at low magnetic fields changed to ferromagnetic (T_C=150–750 K) at higher fields, suggesting metamagnetic behavior for all samples. As predicted, Hf₂FeRu₃Ir₂B₂has the highest intrinsic coercivity (H_c=74 kA/m) reported to date for Ti₃Co₅B₂‐type phases. Furthermore, all coercivities outperform that of ferromagnetic Hf₂FeIr₅B₂, indicating the importance of AFM interactions in enhancing magnetic anisotropy in these materials. Importantly, two members (x=1 and 4) maintain intrinsic coercivities in the semi‐hard range at room temperature. This study opens an avenue for controlling magnetic hardness by modulating antagonistic AFM and FM interactions in low‐dimensional rare‐earth‐free magnetic materials.

    

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5. Current-induced Néel order switching facilitated by magnetic phase transition

   https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-29170-2  

   Wu, Hao ; Zhang, Hantao ; Wang, Baomin ; Groß, Felix ; Yang, Chao-Yao ; Li, Gengfei ; Guo, Chenyang ; He, Haoran ; Wong, Kin ; Wu, Di ; et al ( December 2022 , Nature Communications)

   Abstract Terahertz (THz) spin dynamics and vanishing stray field make antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials the most promising candidate for the next-generation magnetic memory technology with revolutionary storage density and writing speed. However, owing to the extremely large exchange energy barriers, energy-efficient manipulation has been a fundamental challenge in AFM systems. Here, we report an electrical writing of antiferromagnetic orders through a record-low current density on the order of 10 6 A cm −2 facilitated by the unique AFM-ferromagnetic (FM) phase transition in FeRh. By introducing a transient FM state via current-induced Joule heating, the spin-orbit torque can switch the AFM order parameter by 90° with a reduced writing current density similar to ordinary FM materials. This mechanism is further verified by measuring the temperature and magnetic bias field dependences, where the X-ray magnetic linear dichroism (XMLD) results confirm the AFM switching besides the electrical transport measurement. Our findings demonstrate the exciting possibility of writing operations in AFM-based devices with a lower current density, opening a new pathway towards pure AFM memory applications. 

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