Nanoscale manipulation of magnetic domains by strain-induced proximity

ORAL

Abstract

Coupling between lattice and spin degrees of freedom without the use of magnetic fields allows for efficient spintronic devices. Hybrid nanostructures composed of a vanadium oxide undergoing a first-order, structural phase transition (SPT) and a ferromagnet (FM) offer a promising route to control of magnetism by strain-induced proximity. Up to 500% coercivity increase was found in Ni/V2O3 bilayers in a very narrow T range. By synchrotron-based X-ray microscopy we show a reconfiguration of the FM domain pattern across the V2O3 SPT. The lateral correlation length of the Ni domains shows a significant increase at the SPT and a broad distribution of the local transition temperatures is found. These findings are supported by static and dynamic magnetometry measurements and micromagnetic simulations. All the above point to nanoscale phase coexistence of two Ni magnetic anisotropies induced by interfacial stress transfer across the SPT of V2O3. This allows to manipulate magnetic domains at the nanoscale and pursues to engineer coercive fields for novel data storage architectures based on straintronics.

*Work supported by the Spanish MINECO (MAT2015-68772-P, PGC2018-097789-B-I00), EU FEDER funds and CALIPSO, Colombian Colciencias (120471250659) and US DMR (DE FG02 87ER-45332).

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Presenters

  • Xavier Batlle

    • Condensed Matter Physics Department and Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), Universitat de Barcelona, Spain

Authors

  • Xavier Batlle

    • Condensed Matter Physics Department and Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), Universitat de Barcelona, Spain

  • Ilya Valmianski

    • Physics Department, University of California, San Diego

  • Arantxa Fraile Rodríguez

    • Condensed Matter Physics Department and Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), Universitat de Barcelona, Spain

  • Javier Rodriguez Alvarez

    • Condensed Matter Physics Department and Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), Universitat de Barcelona, Spain

  • Montserrat Garcia del Muro

    • Condensed Matter Physics Department and Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), Universitat de Barcelona, Spain

  • Christian T Wolowiec

    • University of California, San Diego
    • Physics Department, University of California, San Diego

  • Florian Kronast

    • Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin für Materialien und Energie, Berlin, Germany

  • Juan G. Ramirez

    • Department of Physics, Universidad de los Andes, Bogotá, Colombia
    • UNIVERSIDAD DE LOS ANDES

  • Ivan Schuller

    • University of California, San Diego
    • Dept. of Physics and Center for Advanced Nanoscience, UCSD, La Jolla, CA, USA
    • Physics Department, University of California, San Diego
    • Department of Physics, University of California, San Diego

  • Amílcar Labarta

    • Condensed Matter Physics Department and Institute of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology (IN2UB), Universitat de Barcelona, Spain