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Half-metals are a class of quantum materials with 100% spin-polarization at the Fermi level and have attracted a lot of attention for future spintronic device applications. CrO2 is one of the most promising half-metal candidates, for which the electrical and magnetic properties have been intensively studied in the last several decades. Here, we report the observation of a giant anisotropy (~1600%) of effective Gilbert damping in the single crystalline half metallic (100)-CrO2 thin films, which is significantly larger than the values observed on conventional ferromagnetic Fe and CoFe thin films. Furthermore, the effective Gilbert damping exhibits opposite temperature-dependent behaviors below 50 K with magnetic field along [010] direction and near [001] direction. These experimental results suggest the strong spin-orbit coupling anisotropy of the half-metallic CrO2 and might pave the way for future magnonic computing applications.

Recent experimental breakthroughs, particularly for single-qubit and two-qubit gates exceeding the error correction threshold, highlight silicon spin qubits as leading candidates for fault-tolerant quantum computation. In the existing architecture, intrinsic or synthetic spin-orbit coupling (SOC) is critical in various aspects, including electrical control, addressability, scalability, etc. However, the high-fidelity SWAP operation and quantum state transfer (QST) between spin qubits, crucial for qubit-qubit connectivity, require the switchable nature of SOC which is rarely considered. Here, we propose a flexible architecture based on spin valves by electrically changing its magnetization orientation within sub-nanoseconds to generate ultrafast switchable SOC. Based on the switchable SOC architecture, both SWAP operation of neighbor spin qubits and resonant QST between distant spins can be realized with fidelity exceeding 99% while considering the realistic experimental parameters. Benefiting from the compatible processes with the modern semiconductor industry and experimental advances in spin valves and spin qubits, our results pave the way for future construction of silicon-based quantum chips., Comment: 22 pages, 5 figures

We explain how Rashba spin-orbit coupling (SOC) in a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG), or in a conventional $s$-wave superconductor, can lead to a large magnetoresistance even with one ferromagnet. However, such enhanced magnetoresistance is not generic and can be nonmonotonic and change its sign with Rashba SOC. For an in-plane rotation of magnetization, it is typically negligibly small for a 2DEG and depends on the perfect transmission which emerges from a spin-parity-time symmetry of the scattering states, while this symmetry is generally absent from the Hamiltonian of the system. The key difference from considering the normal-state magnetoresistance is the presence of the spin-dependent Andreev reflection at superconducting interfaces. In the fabricated junctions of quasi-2D van der Waals ferromagnets with conventional $s$-wave superconductors (Fe$_{0.29}$TaS$_2$/NbN) we find another example of enhanced magnetoresistance where the presence of Rashba SOC reduces the effective interfacial strength and is responsible for an equal-spin Andreev reflection. The observed nonmonotonic trend in the out-of-plane magnetoresistance with the interfacial barrier is an evidence for the proximity-induced equal-spin-triplet superconductivity., Comment: This work is submitted to the special issue of Phys. Rev. B dedicated to Professor Emmanuel Rashba

The interplay between superconductivity and ferromagnetism in the superconductor/ferromagnet (SC/FM) heterostructures generates many interesting physical phenomena, including spin-triplet superconductivity, superconducting order parameter oscillation, and topological superconductivity. The unique physical properties make the SC/FM heterostructures as promising platforms for future superconducting spintronics and quantum computation applications. In this article, we review important research progress of SC/FM heterostructures from superconducting spintronics to quantum computation, and it is organized as follows. Firstly, we discuss the progress of spin current carriers in SC/FM heterostructures including Bogoliubov quasiparticles, superconducting vortex, and spin-triplet Cooper pairs which might be used for long-range spin transport. Then, we will describe the {\pi} Josephson junctions and its application for constructing {\pi} qubits. Finally, we will briefly review experimental signatures of Majorana states in the SC/FM heterostructures and the theoretically proposed manipulation, which could be useful to realize fault-tolerant topological quantum computing.

Spin Seebeck effect (SSE), the generation of spin current from heat, has been extensively studied in a large variety of magnetic materials, including ferromagnets, antiferromagnets, paramagnets, and quantum spin liquids. In this paper, we report the study of the SSE in the single crystalline Pb2V3O9, a spin-gapped quantum magnet candidate with quasi-one-dimensional spin-1/2 chain. Detailed temperature and magnetic field dependences of the SSE are investigated, and the temperature-dependent critical magnetic fields show a strong correlation to the Bose-Einstein condensation phase of the quantum magnet Pb2V3O9. This work shows the potential of using spin current as a probe to study the spin correlation and phase transition properties in quantum magnets., Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures

The recent discovery of superconducting interfaces in the $KTaO_3 (111)$-based heterostructures is intriguing, since a much higher superconducting critical temperature (TC ~ 2 K) is achieved compared to that in the $SrTiO_3$ heterostructures (~ 300 mK). In this paper, we report the superconducting properties of $EuO/KTaO_3 (111)$ interface as a function of the interface carrier density ($n_s$). The maximum T_C is observed to be ~ 2 K at $n_s$ ~ $1\times10^{14}$ cm-2. In addition, we show that the critical current density and the upper critical magnetic field can be effectively tuned by the back gate voltage. Interestingly, the gate dependence of the upper critical magnetic field exhibits a trend opposite to that of TC in the underdoped region, suggesting a relatively larger Cooper pairing potential.

Interfaces between materials with differently ordered phases present unique opportunities for exotic physical properties, especially the interplay between ferromagnetism and superconductivity in the ferromagnet/superconductor heterostructures. The investigation of zero- and pi-junctions has been of particular interest for both fundamental physical science and emerging technologies. Here, we report the experimental observation of giant oscillatory Gilbert damping in the superconducting Nb/NiFe/Nb junctions with respect to the NiFe thickness. This observation suggests an unconventional spin pumping and relaxation via zero-energy Andreev bound states that exist only in the Nb/NiFe/Nb pi-junctions, but not in the Nb/NiFe/Nb zero-junctions. Our findings could be important for further exploring the exotic physical properties of ferromagnet/superconductor heterostructures, and potential applications of ferromagnet pi-junctions in quantum computing, such as half-quantum flux qubits., Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures, SI, and 11 SI figures

Fundamental symmetry breaking and relativistic spin-orbit coupling give rise to fascinating phenomena in quantum materials. Of particular interest are the interfaces between ferromagnets and common s-wave superconductors, where the emergent spin-orbit fields support elusive spin-triplet superconductivity, crucial for superconducting spintronics and topologically-protected Majorana bound states. Here, we report the observation of large magnetoresistances at the interface between a quasi-two-dimensional van der Waals ferromagnet Fe0.29TaS2 and a conventional s-wave superconductor NbN, which provides the possible experimental evidence for the spin triplet Andreev reflection and induced spin-triplet superconductivity at ferromagnet/superconductor interface arising from Rashba spin-orbit coupling. The temperature, voltage, and interfacial barrier dependences of the magnetoresistance further support the induced spin-triplet superconductivity and spin-triplet Andreev reflection. This discovery, together with the impressive advances in two-dimensional van der Waals ferromagnets, opens an important opportunity to design and probe superconducting interfaces with exotic properties.

We report the experimental observation of half-integer Shapiro steps in the strong ferromagnetic Josephson junction (Nb-NiFe-Nb) by investigating the current-phase relation under radiofrequency microwave excitation. The half-integer Shapiro steps are robust in a wide temperature range from T = 4 to 7 K. The half-integer Shapiro steps could be attributed to co-existence of 0- and pi-states in the strong ferromagnetic NiFe Josephson junctions with the spatial variation of the2 NiFe thickness. This scenario is also supported by the high-resolution transmission electron microscopy characterization of the Nb/NiFe/Nb junction., Comment: 12 pages, 5 figures, SI, and 3 SI figures

Magnon-polarons are coherently mixed quasiparticles that originate from the strong magnetoelastic coupling of lattice vibrations and spin waves in magnetic-ordered materials. Recently, magnon-polarons have attracted a lot of attention since they provide a powerful tool to manipulate magnons, which is essential for magnon-based spintronic devices. In this work, we report the experimental observation of facet-dependent magnon-polarons in epitaxial ferrimagnetic Fe3O4 thin films via spin Seebeck effect measurement. The critical magnetic fields for the magnon-polarons in the (110)- and (100)-oriented Fe3O4 films are 1.5 T and 1.8 T, respectively, which arises from the different phonon velocities along the [110] and [100] directions. As the temperature decreases, the magnon-polarons-enhanced spin Seebeck voltage decreases in both (110)- and (100)-oriented Fe3O4 films, which could be attributed to the enhanced magnon-polarons scattering at elevated temperatures. This work demonstrates the crystal structure engineering in epitaxial magnetic films as a promising route to manipulate the magnon-polarons for future magnon spintronic applications., Comment: 15 pages, 4 figures

Superconductivity has been one of the most fascinating quantum states of matter for over several decades. Among the superconducting materials, LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interface is of particularly interest since superconductivity exists between two insulating materials, which provides it with various unique applications compared with bulk superconductors and makes it a suitable platform to study the quantum Hall effect, charge density wave, superconductivity and magnetism in one device. Therefore, a lot of efforts have been made to search new superconducting oxide interface states with higher superconducting critical temperature (TC). Recently, a superconducting state with TC ~ 2 K has been found at the interface between a ferromagnetic insulator EuO and a band insulator (111)-KTaO3. Here, we report the experimental investigation of the superconductor-metal quantum phase transition of the EuO/KTaO3 interface. Around the transition, a divergence of the dynamical critical exponent is observed, which supports the quantum Griffiths singularity in the EuO/KTaO3 interface. The quantum Griffiths singularity could be attributed to large rare superconducting regions and quenched disorders at the interface. Our results could pave the way for studying the exotic superconducting properties at the EuO/KTaO3 interface., Comment: Main paper: 12 pages, 4 figures. Supplementary materials: 3 figures

The recent emergence of two-dimensional (2D) van der Waals ferromagnets has provided a new platform for exploring magnetism in the flatland and for designing 2D ferromagnet-based spintronics devices. Despite intensive studies, the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) mechanisms in 2D van der Waals ferromagnets have not been investigated yet. In this paper, we report the AHE mechanisms in quasi-2D van der Waals ferromagnet Fe0.29TaS2 via systematically measuring Fe0.29TaS2 devices with thickness from 14 nm to bulk single crystal. The AHE mechanisms are investigated via the scaling relationship between the anomalous Hall and channel conductivities. As the Fe0.29TaS2 thickness decreases, the major AHE mechanism changes from extrinsic scattering to intrinsic contribution. The crossover of the AHE mechanisms is found to be highly associated with the channel conductivities as the Fe0.29TaS2 thickness varies., Comment: Main paper: 20 pages, 6 figures. Supplementary materials: 10 figures

The experimental observation of quantum anomalous Hall effect (QAHE) in magnetic topological insulators has stimulated enormous interest in condensed-matter physics and materials science. For the purpose of realizing high-temperature QAHE, several material candidates have been proposed, among which the interface states in the CdO/ferromagnetic insulator heterostructures are particularly interesting and favorable for technological applications. Here, we report the experimental observation of the interfacial ferromagnetism and anomalous Hall effect in the Fe3O4/CdO/Fe3O4 heterostructures grown via oxide molecular-beam epitaxy. Systematical variation of the CdO thickness reveals the interface ferromagnetism as the major cause for the observed planar magnetoresistance and anomalous Hall effect. Our results might pave the way to engineer oxide interface states for the exploration of QAHE towards exotic quantum-physical phenomena and potential applications., Comment: Main paper: 11 pages, 4 figures. Supplementary materials: 7 Figures

The recent emergence of 2D van der Waals magnets down to atomic layer thickness provides an exciting platform for exploring quantum magnetism and spintronics applications. The van der Waals nature stabilizes the long-range ferromagnetic order as a result of magnetic anisotropy. Furthermore, giant tunneling magnetoresistance and electrical control of magnetism have been reported. However, the potential of 2D van der Waals magnets for magnonics, magnon-based spintronics, has not been explored yet. Here, we report the experimental observation of long-distance magnon transport in quasi-twodimensional van der Waals antiferromagnet MnPS3, which demonstrates the 2D magnets as promising material candidates for magnonics. As the 2D MnPS3 thickness decreases, a shorter magnon diffusion length is observed, which could be attributed to the surface-impurity-induced magnon scattering. Our results could pave the way for exploring quantum magnonics phenomena and designing future magnonics devices based on 2D van der Waals magnets., Comment: Main paper: 15 pages, 4 figures. Supplementary materials: 11 Figures

We report the critical role of La doping in the topological Hall effect observed in LaxEu1-xO thin films (~ 50 nm) grown by molecular beam epitaxy. When the La doping exceeds 0.036, topological Hall effect emerges, which we attribute to the formation of magnetic skyrmions. Besides, the La doping is found to play a critical role in determining the phases, densities, and sizes of the skyrmions in the LaxEu1-xO thin films. The maximum region of the skyrmion phase diagram is observed on the La0.1Eu0.9O thin film. As the La doping increases, the skyrmion density increases while the skyrmion size decreases. Our findings demonstrate the important role of La doping for the skyrmions in EuO films, which could be important for future studies of magnetic skyrmions in Heisenberg ferromagnets., Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, To appear in Physics Review Materials