Magnetic hysteresis induction with nanocolumnar defects in magnetic insulators

針井 一哉*; 埋田 真樹; 有沢 洋希*; 日置 友智*; 佐藤 奈々; 岡安 悟; 家田 淳一

Journal of the Physical Society of Japan, 92(7), p.073701_1 - 073701_4, 2023/07

https://doi.org/10.7566/JPSJ.92.073701

Magnetic property modification of an easy-plane magnetic insulator caused by an accumulation of nanocolumnar defects along the film normal was investigated by numerical simulations and heavy-ion beam irradiation experiments. Micromagnetic simulations suggest that depending on the density of the nonmagnetic nanocolumnar defects, the microstructure of the fragmented ferromagnetic domains is formed leading to magnetic coercivity enhancement as well as magnetization reduction. To prove this prediction, gold ions with 300 MeV were used for the irradiation to create amorphous nanocolumnar defects in crystalline bismuth-doped lutetium iron garnet (Bi:LuIG) films. As increasing the ion-irradiation dose, the modifications of the saturation magnetization and magnetic coercivity were observed in an uncorrelated manner; the enhancement of magnetic coercivity exhibits a fluence threshold whereas the decrease of saturation magnetization caused by ion-beam damage is monotonic with increasing beam fluence. These behaviors qualitatively agree with the numerical simulations and the models by continuum percolation theory. Because the irradiation effects are controlled by beam fluences, the present method has the potential to be a microstructuring technique for magnetic insulator.

Magnetization switching process by dual spin-orbit torque in interlayer exchange-coupled systems

増田 啓人*; 山根 結太*; 関 剛斎*; Raab, K.*; 土肥 昂尭*; Modak, R.*; 内田 健一*; 家田 淳一; Klui, M.*; 高梨 弘毅

Applied Physics Letters, 122(16), p.162402_1 - 162402_7, 2023/04

https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0140328

We report current-induced magnetization switching in Pt/Co/Ir/Co/Pt multilayers with different Ir layer thicknesses (), where the perpendicularly magnetized Co layers are coupled ferromagnetically or antiferromagnetically through an interlayer exchange coupling and are sandwiched by the Pt spin Hall layers. The domain structures formed during switching vary depending on the magnetization alignment, i.e., ferromagnetically coupled or antiferromagnetically coupled configuration. These results clarify the macroscopic picture of switching process for interlayer exchange-coupled systems. The local picture of the switching process is also examined by a numerical calculation based on a macrospin model, which reveals the switching dynamics triggered by dual spin-orbit torque for both antiferromagnetically and ferromagnetically coupled cases. The numerical calculation shows that the dual spin-orbit torque from the two Pt layers effectively acts on the two Co layers not only for the antiferromagnetically coupled case but also for the ferromagnetically coupled one. Our findings deepen the under- standing of the switching mechanism in a magnetic multilayer and provide an avenue to design spintronic devices with more efficient spin-orbit torque switching.

Spin and spin current; From fundamentals to recent progress

前川 禎通; 吉川 貴史*; 中堂 博之; 家田 淳一; 齊藤 英治

Journal of Applied Physics, 133(2), p.020902_1 - 020902_24, 2023/01

https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0133335

Along with the progress of spin science and spintronics research, the flow of electron spins, i.e., spin current, has attracted interest. New phenomena and electronic states were explained in succession using the concept of spin current. Moreover, as many of the conventionally known spintronics phenomena became well organized based on spin current, it has rapidly been recognized as an essential concept in a wide range of condensed matter physics. In this article, we focus on recent developments in the physics of spin, spin current, and their related phenomena, where the conversion between spin angular momentum and different forms of angular momentum plays an essential role. Starting with an introduction to spin current, we first discuss the recent progress in spintronic phenomena driven by spin-exchange coupling: spin pumping, topological Hall torque, and emergent inductor. We, then, extend our discussion to the interaction/interconversion of spins with heat, lattice vibrations, and charge current and address recent progress and perspectives on the spin Seebeck and Peltier effects. Next, we review the interaction between mechanical motion and electron/nuclear spins and argue the difference between the Barnett field and rotational Doppler effect. We show that the Barnett effect reveals the angular momentum compensation temperature, at which the net angular momentum is quenched in ferrimagnets.

Local bifurcation with spin-transfer torque in superparamagnetic tunnel junctions

舩津 拓也*; 金井 駿*; 家田 淳一; 深見 俊輔*; 大野 英男*

Nature Communications (Internet), 13, p.4079_1 - 4079_8, 2022/07

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-31788-1

外部摂動によるエネルギー配置の変調は、アレニウスの法則によって記述されるさまざまな熱活性化現象を支配している。スピン移行トルク(STT)によるナノスケールの磁気トンネル接合の熱ゆらぎの利用は、非従来型計算機の可能性を示しているものの、ネール・アレニウス則に基づくその厳密な表現については未解明な点がある。特に、その中の熱的に活性化されるスイッチング速度の指数は、10年の長い保持時間を持つ従来の熱的に安定なナノ磁石では到達できなかった。本研究では、外部摂動に対して高い感度を持つ超常磁性トンネル接合を利用することで、STTによるネール・アレニウス則に迫り、強磁性共鳴のホモダイン検出,ナノ秒STTスイッチング,ランダム電信ノイズなどのいくつかの独立した測定を通じて指数を決定する。さらに、結果がさまざまな物理システムで観察された局所分岐の概念によって包括的に記述されていることを示す。調査結果は、統計物理学の有用なテスターとしての超常磁性トンネル接合の能力、および厳密な数学的基盤を備えた確率的コンピューティングハードウェアの高度なエンジニアリングの可能性を示している。

Observation of domain structure in non-collinear antiferromagnetic MnSn thin films by magneto-optical Kerr effect

内村 友宏*; Yoon, J.-Y.*; 佐藤 佑磨*; 竹内 祐太郎*; 金井 駿*; 武智 涼太*; 岸 桂輔*; 山根 結太*; DuttaGupta, S.*; 家田 淳一; et al.

Applied Physics Letters, 120(17), p.172405_1 - 172405_5, 2022/04

https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0089355

We perform a hysteresis-loop measurement and domain imaging for -oriented -MnSn thin films using magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) and compare it with the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) measurement. We obtain a large Kerr rotation angle of 10 mdeg., comparable with bulk single-crystal MnSn. The composition dependence of AHE and MOKE shows a similar trend, suggesting the same origin, i.e., the non-vanishing Berry curvature in the momentum space. Magnetic domain observation at the saturated state shows that x dependence of AHE and MOKE is explained by an amount of reversible area that crucially depends on the crystalline structure of the film. Furthermore, in-depth observation of the reversal process reveals that the reversal starts with nucleation of sub-micrometer-scale domains dispersed in the film, followed by a domain expansion, where the domain wall preferentially propagates along the direction. Our study provides a basic understanding of the spatial evolution of the reversal of chiral-spin structure in non-collinear antiferromagnetic thin films.

Observation of topological Hall torque exerted on a domain wall in the ferromagnetic oxide SrRuO

山ノ内 道彦*; 荒木 康史; 酒井 貴樹*; 植村 哲也*; 太田 裕道*; 家田 淳一

Science Advances (Internet), 8(15), p.eabl6192_1 - eabl6192_6, 2022/04

https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.abl6192

強磁性ワイル金属SrRuOにおける、電流によって磁壁に作用する大きな有効磁場を報告する。電流密度に対するの比率は、非単調な温度依存性を示し、従来のスピン移行トルクおよびスピン軌道トルクの比率を上回っていることが示される。この増強効果は、磁壁に電場が印加されたときに、ワイル点の周りに出現するワイル電子によって磁壁に作用するトポロジカルホールトルク(THT)によってよく説明される。電流密度に対するTHTから生じるの比率は、金属系で報告されているスピン移行トルクおよびスピン軌道トルクから生じるものよりも1桁以上高く、THTが スピントロニクスデバイスにおける磁化の操作においてエネルギー効率の良い方法を提供する可能性があることを示している。

Intrinsic torques emerging from anomalous velocity in magnetic textures

荒木 康史; 家田 淳一

Physical Review Letters, 127(21), p.277205_1 - 277205_7, 2021/12

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.127.277205

強いスピン-軌道相互作用の下での電子系には、運動量空間内のトポロジーが発現する。この電子系トポロジーは磁性体中の磁気構造に対して、乱れや熱揺らぎに影響されない電場誘起トルクを与える。本研究では現象論的なトルクの分類に基づき、バンドトポロジーとトルクの間の直接的な関係を示す。内因性異常ホール効果と同様に、トルクにもまた、非平衡輸送電流に依らず異常速度に起因した内因的効果が現れる。特に本論文では、磁気構造内でのみ現れる内因的トルクの存在を明らかにし、これを「トポロジカルホールトルク(THT)」と呼ぶ。このTHTはバルク結晶中で現れ、界面や表面といった構造を用いる必要がないものである。数値モデルの計算に基づき、金属強磁性体中での従来のスピン移行トルクと比較して、このTHTは非常に大きなトルクを与えることを明らかにする。特に金属強磁性体における実験で報告されていた巨大な電流誘起トルクは、このTHTとして理解できることを示す。

Chiral-spin rotation of non-collinear antiferromagnet by spin-orbit torque

竹内 祐太郎*; 山根 結太*; Yoon, J.-Y.*; 伊藤 隆一*; 陣内 佛霖*; 金井 駿*; 家田 淳一; 深見 俊輔*; 大野 英男*

Nature Materials, 20(10), p.1364 - 1370, 2021/10

https://doi.org/10.1038/s41563-021-01005-3

Electrical manipulation of magnetic materials by current-induced spin torque constitutes the basis of spintronics. Recent studies have demonstrated electrical controls of ferromagnets and collinear antiferromagnets by spin-orbit torque (SOT). Here we show an unconventional response to SOT of a non-collinear antiferromagnet, which has recently attracted great attention owing to large anomalous Hall effect despite vanishingly small net magnetization. In heterostructures with epitaxial non-collinear antiferromagnet MnSn, we observe a characteristic fluctuation of Hall resistance, which is attributed to a persistent rotation of chiral-spin structure of MnSn driven by SOT. We find that level of the fluctuation that varies with sample size represents the number of magnetic domains of MnSn. In addition, MnSn thickness dependence of critical current reveals that SOT generated by small current density below 20 MA cm effectively acts on the chiral-spin structure even in thick MnSn above 20 nm. The results provide unprecedented pathways of electrical manipulation of magnetic materials, offering new-concept spintronics devices with unconventional functionalities and low-power consumption.

Intrinsic and extrinsic tunability of Rashba spin-orbit coupled emergent inductors

家田 淳一; 山根 結太*

Physical Review B, 103(10), p.L100402_1 - L100402_5, 2021/03

AA2020-0554.pdf:0.77MB

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.103.L100402

The emergent induction of spiral magnets that was proposed [Nagaosa, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. 58, 120909 (2019)] and recently demonstrated [Yokouchi et al., Nature 586, 232 (2020)] is shown to be further extended by a comprehensive treatment of the Rashba spin-orbit coupling and the electron spin relaxation that affect the underlying processes of spin-transfer torque and spinmotive force. Within adiabatic approximation, we show that the output voltages are widely altered intrinsically via the Rashba effect whereas extrinsically via the nonadiabatic correction due to the spin relaxation and sample disorder. The findings respectively clarify the origins for the amplitude modulation and sign change of the emergent inductance with tunability by electrical gating and careful sample preparation.

Broken C symmetry in the tetragonal state of uniaxial strained BaCoNiS

社本 真一; 山内 宏樹; 池内 和彦*; 梶本 亮一; 家田 淳一

Physical Review Research (Internet), 3(1), p.013169_1 - 013169_9, 2021/02

https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.3.013169

A compound with large anions is known to show large compressibility whereby a novel response may emerge from the degenerated state by a uniaxial pressure. Neutron scattering study of BaCoNiS crystal reveals that the tetragonal insulating state has two magnetic domains with in-plane anisotropic antiferromagnetic wave vectors =(, 0) and =(0, ). One magnetic domain with becomes dominant under a weak uniaxial pressure of 1 MPa without a structural phase transition. Correspondingly, the in-plane broken C symmetry is observed in the in-plane magnetic excitation. The domain-ratio changes under a uniaxial pressure in the tetragonal state is only slightly smaller than that in the orthorhombic state.