RESUMEN
Topological insulators (TIs) hold promise for manipulating the magnetization of a ferromagnet (FM) through the spin-orbit torque (SOT) mechanism. However, integrating TIs with conventional FMs often leads to significant device-to-device variations and a broad distribution of SOT magnitudes. In this work, we present a scalable approach to grow a full van der Waals FM/TI heterostructure by molecular beam epitaxy, combining the charge-compensated TI (Bi,Sb)2Te3 with 2D FM Fe3GeTe2 (FGT). Harmonic magnetotransport measurements reveal that the SOT efficiency exhibits a non-monotonic temperature dependence and experiences a substantial enhancement with a reduction of the FGT thickness to 2 monolayers. Our study further demonstrates that the magnetization of ultrathin FGT films can be switched with a current density of Jc â¼ 1010 A/m2, with minimal device-to-device variations compared to previous investigations involving traditional FMs.
RESUMEN
2D materials, such as transition metal dichalcogenides, are ideal platforms for spin-to-charge conversion (SCC) as they possess strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC), reduced dimensionality and crystal symmetries as well as tuneable band structure, compared to metallic structures. Moreover, SCC can be tuned with the number of layers, electric field, or strain. Here, SCC in epitaxially grown 2D PtSe2 by THz spintronic emission is studied since its 1T crystal symmetry and strong SOC favor SCC. High quality of as-grown PtSe2 layers is demonstrated, followed by in situ ferromagnet deposition by sputtering that leaves the PtSe2 unaffected, resulting in well-defined clean interfaces as evidenced with extensive characterization. Through this atomic growth control and using THz spintronic emission, the unique thickness-dependent electronic structure of PtSe2 allows the control of SCC. Indeed, the transition from the inverse Rashba-Edelstein effect (IREE) in 1-3 monolayers (ML) to the inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) in multilayers (>3 ML) of PtSe2 enabling the extraction of the perpendicular spin diffusion length and relative strength of IREE and ISHE is demonstrated. This band structure flexibility makes PtSe2 an ideal candidate to explore the underlying mechanisms and engineering of the SCC as well as for the development of tuneable THz spintronic emitters.
RESUMEN
The study of moiré engineering started with the advent of van der Waals heterostructures, in which stacking 2D layers with different lattice constants leads to a moiré pattern controlling their electronic properties. The field entered a new era when it was found that adjusting the twist between two graphene layers led to strongly-correlated-electron physics and topological effects associated with atomic relaxation. A twist is now routinely used to adjust the properties of 2D materials. This study investigates a new type of moiré superlattice in bilayer graphene when one layer is biaxially strained with respect to the other-so-called biaxial heterostrain. Scanning tunneling microscopy measurements uncover spiraling electronic states associated with a novel symmetry-breaking atomic reconstruction at small biaxial heterostrain. Atomistic calculations using experimental parameters as inputs reveal that a giant atomic swirl forms around regions of aligned stacking to reduce the mechanical energy of the bilayer. Tight-binding calculations performed on the relaxed structure show that the observed electronic states decorate spiraling domain wall solitons as required by topology. This study establishes biaxial heterostrain as an important parameter to be harnessed for the next step of moiré engineering in van der Waals multilayers.
