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Although the magnetic relaxation mechanism in ferromagnetic/nonmagnetic (FM/NM) bilayers has been commendably established, the nonlocal Gilbert damping has been much less addressed in spin valve configurations of FM/NM/FM associated with both the static interlayer exchange coupling and the dynamic coupling. Here, we report the dimensional crossover role of the Pd layer on magnetic relaxation in Fe/Pd/Fe trilayer structures. We identify a pronounced jump of Gilbert damping across the characteristic static interlayer exchange coupling length of Fe/Pd/Fe. The significant enhancement and suppression of Gilbert damping values are ascribed to the entanglement of the dynamics of the two Fe layers mediated by the static exchange coupling and the dynamic exchange coupling. Our work deepens the understanding to manipulate the spin transport and magnetic relaxation via the coherence of spin current.

Magneto-electroluminescence (MEL) represents the electroluminescence intensity change upon application of an external magnetic field. We show that the MEL field response in “magnetic” organic light-emitting diodes, where one electrode is ferromagnetic (FM), is a powerful technique for measuring the induced fringe field, BF, from the FM electrode in the organic layer. We found that the in-plane fringe field, BF∥, from 3 nm Co and Ni80Fe20 FM electrodes is proportional to the applied field, B∥. The fringe field of the 3 nm Ni80Fe20 film was also investigated for an applied out-of-plane magnetic field, B⊥. We found that the out-of-plane fringe field has two components: a component that is parallel or antiparallel to B⊥ and remains unchanged with the distance, d, from the FM electrode and the other component that is highly inhomogeneous, parallel to the surface, and steeply decreases with d. We show that the obtained BF is independent of the underlying mechanism for the MEL(B) response and thus may be c...

Recently the hybrid organic-inorganic trihalide perovskites have shown remarkable performance as active layers in photovoltaic and other optoelectronic devices. However, their spin characteristic properties have not been fully studied, although due to the relatively large spin-orbit coupling these materials may show great promise for spintronic applications. Here we demonstrate spin-polarized carrier injection into methylammonium lead bromide films from metallic ferromagnetic electrodes in two spintronic-based devices: a ‘spin light emitting diode’ that results in circularly polarized electroluminescence emission; and a ‘vertical spin valve’ that shows giant magnetoresistance. In addition, we also apply a magnetic field perpendicular to the injected spins orientation for measuring the ‘Hanle effect’, from which we obtain a relatively long spin lifetime for the electrically injected carriers. Our measurements initiate the field of hybrid perovskites spin-related optoelectronic applications., Hybrid organic-inorganic trihalide perovskites can make remarkable optoelectronic devices but their spin characteristics are less investigated. Here Wang et al. show spin-polarized carriers injection into methylammonium lead bromide films with long lifetime and realize spin LEDs and spin valves.

Atomically flat MnSi films were fabricated on Si(1 1 1)-7 × 7 reconstructed surface by molecular beam epitaxy(MBE). Both scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) images and low energy electron diffraction (LEED) patterns demonstrate a well-defined ( 3 × 3 )R30o structure reconstruction. A thickness-driven metal–semiconductor transition in MnSi ultrathin films was observed with decreasing the thickness down to 6 ML (monolayers). The temperature dependence of the resistance and the negative magnetoconductivity suggest the MnSi ultrathin films with thickness lower than 6ML exhibit weak anti-localization (WAL) of two-dimensional (2D) electron systems. This finding that not only advances our understanding of the mechanism of thickness-driven metal–semiconductor transition, but also provides a new strategy to use ferromagnetic semiconductor as spin injector in spintronic devices.

Spin‐orbit torque (SOT) opens an efficient and versatile avenue for the electrical manipulation of magnetization in spintronic devices. The enhancement of SOT efficiency and reduction of power consumption are key points for the implementation of high‐performance SOT devices, which strongly rely on the spin‐orbit coupling (SOC) strength and magnetic properties of ferromagnetic/non‐magnetic heterostructures. Recently, van der Waals‐layered materials have shown appealing properties for use in efficient SOT applications. On the one hand, transition‐metal dichalcogenides, topological insulators, and graphene‐based heterostructures possess appreciable SOC strength. This feature can efficiently converse the charge current into spin current and result in large SOT. On the other hand, the newly discovered layered magnetic materials provide ultra‐thin and gate‐tunable ferromagnetic candidates for high‐performance SOT devices. In this review, the latest advancements of SOT research in various layered materials are summarized. First, a brief introduction of SOT is given. Second, SOT studies of various layered materials and heterostructures are summarized. Subsequently, progresses on SOT‐induced magnetization switching are presented. Finally, current challenges and prospects for future development are suggested., Van der Waals‐layered materials and heterostructures show appealing advantages in improving spin‐orbit torque (SOT) efficiency. The recent SOT researches in various 2D materials are outlined. The current challenges and the future directions are also discussed. Van der Waals‐layered materials and heterostructures are expected to provide unprecedented opportunities in the fields of spintronics.

Hybrid organic-inorganic perovskites have shown great promise for spintronic applications due to their large spin-orbit coupling induced by the Pb and halogen atoms. Particularly, the large observed surface-induced Rashba splitting in CH3NH3PbBr3 indicates efficient spin-current-to-charge-current (StC) conversion, which, however, has not been demonstrated yet. In this work, the StC conversion efficiency in ferromagnet/CH3NH3PbBr3-based devices is studied using the pulsed spin-pumping technique measured by the inverse spin Hall effect. We found that the StC conversion efficiency is anomalous in that it increases at small perovskite layer thickness. This indicates the existence of a surface-dominated StC mechanism such as the inverse Rashba-Edelstein effect. By inserting a thin LiF layer between the ferromagnet and the perovskite film, the StC conversion efficiency is greatly suppressed, validating the existence of a Rashba surface in the CH3NH3PbBr3 film.

Organic semiconductors find increasing importance in spin transport devices due to the modulation and control of their properties through chemical synthetic versatility. The organic materials have been used as interlayers between two ferromagnet (FM) electrodes in organic spin valves, as well as for magnetic spin manipulation of metal-organic complexes at the molecular level. In the latter, the substrate-induced magnetic switching in a paramagnetic molecule has been evoked extensively but studied by delicate surface spectroscopies. Here we present evidence of the substantial magnetic switching in a thin film of the paramagnetic molecule, tris(8-hydroxyquinoline)iron(III) ($\mathrm{Fe}{\mathrm{q}}_{3}$) deposited on a FM substrate, using the magnetoresistance response of electrical spin-injection in an organic spin valve structure, as well as the inverse-spin-Hall effect induced by state-of-art pulsed microwave spin-pumping. We show that interfacial spin control at the molecular level may lead to a macroscopic organic spin transport device, thus bridging the gap between organic spintronics and molecular spintronics.

The fullerene C60, C70, and C84 molecules, that are composed of ∼99% naturally abundant 12C having spinless nuclei, are considered to have miniature hyperfine interaction and also weak intrinsic spin-orbit coupling (SOC) due to the light carbon atoms. However, it has been theoretically predicted that the curvature of the fullerene molecules may increase the SOC due to the induced hybridization of the π and σ electrons on the carbon atoms that reside on the fullerene molecule surface. In this work, we have measured the spin diffusion length in films of C60, C70, and C84 in NiFe/fullerene/Pt trilayer devices, where pure spin current is injected into the fullerene film at the NiFe/fullerene interface via spin pumping induced by microwave absorption at ferromagnet resonance conditions, and subsequently detected at the fullerene/Pt interface as electrical current via the inverse spin-Hall effect. The obtained spin diffusion lengths in the fullerene films are of the order of 10 nm and increase from C60 to C84 in which the fullerene molecule’s curvature decreases; this finding validates the existence of curvature-induced SOC in the fullerenes. Our results deepen the understanding of spin transport in fullerene films and may benefit the design of molecular spintronic devices.

We have investigated spin transport in films of polyfluorene, a π-conjugated polymer, using the technique of “spin pumping” from a ferromagnet substrate, namely Ni80Fe20 in a NiFe/polyfluorene/Pt trilayer device at room temperature. Pure spin current (without carrier injection) is generated in the polymer film by microwave excitation of the NiFe magnetic moment at ferromagnetic resonance conditions. The induced spin current through the ferromagnet/polymer interface crosses the polymer layer and is detected by a Pt overlayer in the device, where it is converted into electric current via the inverse spin Hall effect. We have successfully determined the spin diffusion length, λS, in the polyfluorene film by varying the polymer thickness in the trilayer structure, and found λS = 118 ± 9 nm. We also measured the charge-carrier mobility, μ in polyfluorene film using the time-of-flight technique and found it to be affected by dispersive transport. From the obtained λS and μ values, we estimated the spin relaxation time in polyfluorene to be ∼5 μs at room temperature.

Interfacial coupling in hybrid magnetic heterostructures is being considered as a unique opportunity for functional material design. Here, we present the temperature dependence of magnetic properties of V2O3/Co bilayers influenced by the structural phase transition that is accompanied by a metal–insulator transition in V2O3. Both the coercivity and the magnetization of Co layer are strongly affected by the interfacial stress due to the magnetostrictive effect in the ferromagnetic film. The observed change in coercivity is as large as 59% in a narrow temperature range. The changes in the magnetic properties are reproducible and reversible, which are of importance for potential applications.

The possibility of tracking the average rotation sense of the magnetization vector of a ferromagnetic layer upon magnetization reversal by means of magnetotransport measurements is explored. It is demonstrated that the rotation sense of the ferromagnetic magnetization vector during a hysteresis loop can be determined for the polycrystalline Co/CoO exchange bias system by measuring the anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) with a specific choice of the measurement geometry. The AMR measurements reveal that the rotation direction of the magnetization vector can be reversed by performing an in-plane hysteresis loop with a magnetic field perpendicular to the cooling field. This reversal can be directly linked to the experimental fact that after training, i.e., after performing hysteresis loops with a field along the cooling field direction, the average orientation of the uncompensated magnetization of the granular CoO antiferromagnet can be largely rotated back to the initial orientation after field cooling by applying a perpendicular field with the appropriate amplitude and orientation.

We fabricated quasi-one-dimensional Co nanochain assemblies and two-dimensional Co nanodot assemblies on Pb/Si(111) substrates by step decoration. The morphology and magnetic properties of these two kinds of Co nanodot assemblies were investigated by in situ scanning tunneling microscopy and magneto-optical Kerr effect measurements. It was found that the steps cannot only improve the uniformity of the Co nanodots, but also increase the critical temperature T(c). Monte Carlo simulation indicates that the ferromagnetism mainly originates from the dipolar interactions and the critical temperature T(c) can be enhanced by introducing an in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy via the step tuned dimensionality variation of the nanodot assemblies.

We present our extensive research into magnetic anisotropy. We tuned the terrace width of Si(111) substrate by a novel method: varying the direction of heating current and consequently manipulating the magnetic anisotropy of magnetic structures on the stepped substrate by decorating its atomic steps. Laser-induced ultrafast demagnetization of a CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunneling junction was explored by the time-resolved magneto-optical Kerr effect (TR-MOKE) for both the parallel state (P state) and the antiparallel state (AP state) of the magnetizations between two magnetic layers. It was observed that the demagnetization time is shorter and the magnitude of demagnetization is larger in the AP state than those in the P state. These behaviors are attributed to the ultrafast spin transfer between two CoFeB layers via the tunneling of hot electrons through the MgO barrier. Our observation indicates that ultrafast demagnetization can be engineered by the hot electron tunneling current. This opens the door to manipulate the ultrafast spin current in magnetic tunneling junctions. Furthermore, an all-optical TR-MOKE technique provides the flexibility for exploring the nonlinear magnetization dynamics in ferromagnetic materials, especially with metallic materials.

The training effect for exchange bias in field-cooled Co/CoO bilayers films is investigated. Previous experiments on the same system have shown that, starting from the ascending branch of the first hysteresis loop, coherent magnetization rotation is the dominant reversal mechanism. This is confirmed by the performed numerical simulations, which also indicate that the training is predominantly caused by changes of the rotatable anisotropy parameters of uncompensated spins at the Co/CoO interface. Moreover, in contrast with what is commonly assumed, the exchange coupling between the rotatable spins and the ferromagnetic layer is stronger than the coupling between the ferromagnet and the spins responsible for the bias. Thus, uncompensated spins strongly coupled to the ferromagnet contribute to the coercivity rather than to the bias, whatever the strength of their magnetic anisotropy. © 2014 AIP Publishing LLC. ispartof: JOURNAL OF APPLIED PHYSICS vol:115 issue:24 pages:1-6 status: published

We report on the magnetic properties of Co40Fe40B20/YMnO3 multiferroic heterostructures in which Co40Fe40B20 shows an in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy with the magnetic easy axis along the ferroelectric polarization direction of YMnO3. The coercive field (Hc) of Co40Fe40B20 shows an interesting non-monotonic change from the easy axis to hard axis with a maximum at a certain angle. It was demonstrated that the magnetic property of Co40Fe40B20 was dominated by the FE domain induced strain and the angular dependence of Hc can be understood by the two phase model. This work is helpful for understanding the coupling between ferromagnetic and ferroelectric materials.

Magnetic behaviors of Fe nanowires grown on 4° miscut Si(111) substrate with Pb buffer layers have been investigated by means of Monte Carlo method. A simple model is constructed, in which the Fe chains are assumed to be assemblies of single domain Fe nanoclusters with magnetostatic energy and exchange coupling energy. The coverage dependence of the magnetic ordering temperature TC of the system is discussed. By accurately calculating the magnetostatic energy of the Fe chains, the simulated results are in agreement with the experimental ones measured by in situ surface magneto-optical Kerr effect. In addition to the magnetostatic energy, the exchange coupling between the overlapping islands is also responsible for the ferromagnetic ordering of high coverage Fe chains at room temperature. Our model was able to predict the essential features of the system.

Magnetic properties of irregular Fe islands grown on Si(111) substrate with Pb buffer layer by molecular beam epitaxy have been investigated by means of Monte Carlo simulation. During the simulation, the dipolar interaction energy among islands and the demagnetization energy of each island were accurately calculated in the Fourier space with the aid of cluster multiple labeling technique. The simulated results, i.e., the magnetic hysteresis loops and the temperature dependence of remanent magnetization, are in good agreement with the experimental ones measured by in situ surface magneto-optical Kerr effect (SMOKE).