Electronic reconstruction and spontaneous magnetic reversal driven by interface dipole layer

ORAL

Abstract

Between two insulators, the electric dipole formed at the polar-nonpolar interface, triggers charge transfer that results in emergent phenomena. However, at metal-insulator junctions, a polar-nonpolar interface behaves very differently. We show that in this case, itinerant electronic screening becomes indispensable. The caveat to this premise is that, within the Thomas-Fermi screening length, the charge transfer is non-negligible. To illustrate this effect, we performed a detailed study of La0.67Sr0.33MnO3/SrTiO3 (001). Electronic reconstruction and subtle lattice distortion at the interface creates a strong antiferromagnetic (AFM) exchange coupling, producing an exchange-spring type interaction. Surprisingly, the AFM coupled layers at the interface prompt a spontaneous magnetic reversal and an inverted hysteresis persisting above room temperature. Our results demonstrate that an interface dipole leads to magnetic switching in a monolithic thin film, showing a new design pathway that activates the interface, on the length scale of Thomas-Fermi screening, a single unit cell.

*This work is primarily supported by the US Department of Energy (DOE) under Grant No. DOE DE-SC0002136. TEM is done at BNL is sponsored by the US DOE under Grant No. DE-AC02-98CH10886 and DE-SC0012704.

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Presenters

  • Mohammad Saghayezhian

    • Louisiana State Univ - Baton Rouge
    • Department of Physics, Louisiana State University
    • Department of Physics & Astronomy, Louisiana State University
    • Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University

Authors

  • Mohammad Saghayezhian

    • Louisiana State Univ - Baton Rouge
    • Department of Physics, Louisiana State University
    • Department of Physics & Astronomy, Louisiana State University
    • Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University

  • Zhen Wang

    • Department of Physcis and Astronomy, Louisiana State University
    • Louisiana State University
    • Louisiana State Univ - Baton Rouge
    • Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University

  • Hangwen Guo

    • Louisiana State Univ - Baton Rouge
    • Department of Physics, Louisiana State University
    • Dept. of Physics and Astronomy , Louisiana State University, USA
    • Department of Physics & Astronomy, Louisiana State University
    • Louisiana State University
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University

  • Rongying Jin

    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University
    • Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State Univ - Baton Rouge
    • Department of Physcis and Astronomy, Louisiana State University
    • Department of Physics & astronomy, Louisiana state University
    • Department of Physics, Louisiana State University
    • Louisiana State Univ - Baton Rouge
    • Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University
    • Physics, Louisiana State Univ
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy,, Louisiana State Univ - Baton Rouge

  • Yimei Zhu

    • Condensed Matter Physcis and Materials Science Departement, Brookhaven National Laboratory
    • Brookhaven National Laboratory
    • Condensed Matter Physics & Materials Science, Brookhaven National Laboratory
    • Brookhaven Natl Lab
    • Brookhaven National Lab
    • Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory
    • Department of Condensed Matter Physics and Materials Science, Brookhaven National Laboratory
    • Condensed Matter Physics & Materials Science Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory

  • Jiandi Zhang

    • Department of Physcis and Astronomy, Louisiana State University
    • Louisiana State Univ - Baton Rouge
    • Department of Physics, Louisiana State University
    • Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University

  • E Plummer

    • Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State Univ - Baton Rouge
    • Department of Physcis and Astronomy, Louisiana State University
    • Louisiana State Univ - Baton Rouge
    • Department of Physics, Louisiana State University
    • Dept. of Physics and Astronomy , Louisiana State University, USA
    • Department of Physics & Astronomy, Louisiana State University
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, Louisiana State University