Electric field manipulation of exchange bias in antiferromagtic Cr<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> thin films

ORAL

Abstract

Cr2O3 is an interesting insulating antiferromagnetic material, which has been widely investigated recently, including in the studies of the spin Seebeck effect and the long spacing distance spin transport. Cr2O3 is also a well-known magneto-electric material, whose sublattice spins can be switched by an electric field. In this study, we first grow a 5 nm thick Pt layer on the substrate of (0001)-oriented Al2O3 using magnetron sputtering, and then the Cr2O3 thin films using high vacuum pulsed laser deposition. 1 nm Co is grown on top of Cr2O3 by molecular beam epitaxy or magnetron sputtering, followed by a 2 nm thick Pt capping layer deposited in-situ to prevent the oxidation of the ferromagnetic Co. The Co layer shows a very strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy with exchange bias by anisotropy magnetoresistance measurements. The exchange bias can be reversibly manipulated by the gating electric field in Cr2O3 between the bottom and top Pt layers. The magneto-electric manipulation of Cr2O3 spins offers potential to switch the magnetization in high-density memory devices incorporating antiferromagnets with low energy consumption.

*Spins and Heat in Nanoscale Electronic Systems, funded by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences award NO. SC0012670

–

Presenters

  • Wei Yuan

    • International Center for Quantum Materials, School of Physics , Peking University, Beijing
    • Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside
    • University of California, Riverside
    • Physics and Astronomy, UC riverside

Authors

  • Wei Yuan

    • International Center for Quantum Materials, School of Physics , Peking University, Beijing
    • Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside
    • University of California, Riverside
    • Physics and Astronomy, UC riverside

  • Cliff Chen

    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
    • University of California, Riverside
    • Physics and Astronomy, UC riverside

  • Junxue Li

    • University of California, Riverside
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
    • Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside
    • Physics and Astronomy, UC riverside

  • Yawen Liu

    • Physics, UCR
    • University of California, Riverside
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside
    • Physics and Astronomy, UC riverside

  • Victor Ortiz

    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
    • Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside
    • University of California, Riverside
    • Physics and Astronomy, UC riverside

  • Tang Su

    • Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside
    • International Center for Quantum Materials, Peking University
    • International Center for Quantum Materials, School of Physics, Peking University
    • School of Physics, Peking University

  • Peng Wei

    • University of California, Riverside
    • Phyiscs and Astronomy, UCR
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
    • Physics and Astronomy, UC riverside

  • Jing Shi

    • University of California, Riverside
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside, CA 92521, USA
    • Physics, UCR
    • Physics and Astronomy, University of California, Riverside
    • Physics and Astronomy, UC riverside