Spin structure and spin Hall magnetoresistance of epitaxial thin films of the insulating non-collinear antiferromagnet SmFeO3.

We report a combined study of imaging the antiferromagnetic (AFM) spin structure and measuring the spin Hall magnetoresistance (SMR) in epitaxial thin films of the insulating non-collinear antiferromagnet SmFeO3. X-ray magnetic linear dichroism photoemission electron microscopy measurements reveal that the AFM spins of the SmFeO3(1 1 0) align in the plane of the film. Angularly dependent magnetoresistance measurements show that SmFeO3/Ta bilayers exhibit a positive SMR, in contrast to the negative SMR expected in previously studied collinear AFMs. The SMR amplitude increases linearly with increasing external magnetic field at higher magnetic fields, suggesting that field-induced canting of the AFM spins plays an important role. In contrast, around the coercive field, no detectable SMR signal is observed, indicating that the SMR of the AFM and canting magnetization components cancel out. Below 50 K, the SMR amplitude increases sizably by a factor of two as compared to room temperature, which likely correlates with the long-range ordering of the Sm ions. Our results show that the SMR is a sensitive technique for non-equilibrium spin systems of non-collinear AFMs.

45° sign switching of effective exchange bias due to competing anisotropies in fully epitaxial Co3FeN/MnN bilayers.

We report an unusual angular-dependent exchange bias effect in ferromagnet/antiferromagnet bilayers, where both ferromagnet and antiferromagnet are epitaxially grown. Numerical model calculations predict an approximately 45° period for the sign switching of the exchange-bias field, depending on the ratio between magnetocrystalline anisotropy and exchange-coupling constant. The switching of the sign is indicative of a competition between a fourfold magnetocrystalline anisotropy of the ferromagnet and a unidirectional anisotropy field of the exchange coupling. This predicted unusual angular-dependent exchange bias and its magnetization switching process are confirmed by measurements on fully epitaxial Co3FeN/MnN bilayers by longitudinal and transverse magneto-optic Kerr effect magnetometry. These results provide a deeper understanding of the exchange coupling phenomena in fully epitaxial bilayers with tailored materials and open up a complex switching energy landscape engineering by anisotropies.

Role of Quantum and Surface-State Effects in the Bulk Fermi-Level Position of Ultrathin Bi Films.

We performed high-resolution photon-energy and polarization-dependent ARPES measurements on ultrathin Bi(111) films [6-180 bilayers (BL), 2.5-70 nm thick] formed on Si(111). In addition to the extensively studied surface states (SSs), the edge of the bulk valence band was clearly measured by using S-polarized light. We found direct evidence that this valence band edge, which forms a hole pocket in the bulk Bi crystal, does not cross the Fermi level for the 180 BL thick film. This is consistent with the predicted semimetal-to-semiconductor transition due to the quantum-size effect [V.B. Sandomirskii, Sov. Phys. JETP 25, 101 (1967)]. However, it became metallic again when the film thickness was decreased (below 30 BL). A plausible explanation for this phenomenon is the modification of the charge neutrality condition due to the size effect of the SSs.