Imaging voltage controlled antiferromagnetic domains’ switching in B doped Cr<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub> epitaxial films using nitrogen-vacancy scanning microscopy

ORAL

Abstract

Antiferromagnetic (AFM) magnetoelectric chromia (Cr2O3) allows voltage-control of the Néel vector in the presence of an applied magnetic field (H) [1]. Boron doping further allows the realization of voltage controlled Néel vector switching at zero H [2], a promising finding to AFM spintronics. B-doping is also believed to break the local symmetry allowing for the formation of polar nanoregions giving rise to transient polarization, and to in-plane 90°­ rotation of the Néel vector into a new stable state (vs 1800 in undoped film) [2]. However, it is not clear how the voltage reversibly switches the Néel vector from in-plane to out-of-plane. In this study we use nitrogen vacancy (NV) scanning microscopy [3, 4] to image the surface/boundary magnetization in 200-nm thick B-Cr2O3 films grown by pulsed laser deposition on Al2O3 substrates. The acquired BNV images confirm the presence of homogeneously magnetized domains with domain sizes ∼40-500 nm. We discuss the effect of voltage applied along micro-structured Pt Hall bars deposited on B-Cr2O3/V2O3 structures on the switching of AFM domains. [1] N. Wu et al., Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 087202 (2011). [2] A. Mahmood et al. Nat. Comm. 12, 1674 (2021). [3] P. Appel et al., Nano Lett. 19, 1682 (2019). [4] A. Erickson et al., RSC Advances, Under review (2022).

*This material is based upon work supported by the National Science Foundation/EPSCoR RII Track-1: Emergent Quantum Materials and Technologies (EQUATE), Award OIA-2044049. IF acknowledges support from ERAF project 1.1.1.5/20/A/001. The research was performed in part in the Nebraska Nanoscale Facility: National Nanotechnology Coordinated Infrastructure and the Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience (and/or NERCF), which are supported by the National Science Foundation under Award ECCS: 2025298, and the Nebraska Research Initiative.

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Presenters

  • Abdelghani Laraoui

    • Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    • dowran@unl.edu
    • University of Nebraska - Lincoln

Authors

  • Abdelghani Laraoui

    • Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
    • dowran@unl.edu
    • University of Nebraska - Lincoln

  • Adam D Erickson

    • Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

  • Ather Mahmood

    • University of Nebraska - Lincoln
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

  • Syed Qamar Abbas Shah

    • University of Nebraska - Lincoln
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

  • Ilja Fescenko

    • Laser Center, University of Latvia

  • Rupak Timalsina

    • Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering, University of Nebraska-Lincoln

  • Christian Binek

    • University of Nebraska - Lincoln
    • Department of Physics and Astronomy and the Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, University of Nebraska-Lincoln