Non-collinear magnetic configuration mediated exchange coupling at the interface of antiferromagnet and rare-earth nanolayers.

Mn[Formula: see text]Ir/CoFe bilayer is a prototypical exchange-coupled antiferromagnet (AF)-ferromagnet (FM) system. Nevertheless, a strong exchange coupling between FM and rare-earth(RE) interfaces of Fe/Dy and Fe/Tb has been established earlier. Strong coupling at the FM-RE interface originates from the number of irreversible spins owing to the imbalance in the non-collinear configuration in RE. However, exchange coupling between AF-RE could not be established due to the minimal number of irreversible spins in AF and RE. A frustrated inter-domain magnetic interaction leads to the coexistence of spin-freezing-like ordering around the temperature range of helical spin modulation at the exchange-coupled interfaces of RE-based specimens. To overcome the lack of coupling between the AF-RE interface, we use a sandwich structure of AF-FM-RE layers (Mn[Formula: see text]Ir/CoFe/Dy) as we demonstrate establishing considerable exchange bias in the system. Changing the bias direction during field cooling introduces possible differences in non-collinear directions (helicities), which affects the number of irreversible spins and consequent exchange coupling differently for opposite directions. The non-collinear structures in RE are topologically stable; thus, their directions of orientation can be regarded as an additional degree of freedom, which can be manipulated in all-spin-based technology.

Real-time observation of nucleation and growth of Au on CdSe quantum dot templates.

Semiconductor quantum dot (QD) arrays can be useful for optical devices such as lasers, solar cells and light-emitting diodes. As the size distribution influences the band-gap, it is worthwhile to investigate QDs prepared using different solvents because each of them could influence the overall morphology differently, depending on the ligand network around individual QDs. Here, we follow the nucleation and growth of gold (Au) on CdSe QD arrays to investigate the influence of surface ligands and thereby realized interparticle distance between QDs on Au growth behaviour. We particularly emphasize on the monolayer stage as the Au decoration on individual QDs is expected at this stage. Therefore, we sputter-deposit Au on each QD array to investigate the morphological evolution in real-time using time-resolved grazing-incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS). The growth kinetics - independent of the template - signifies that the observed template-mediated nucleation is limited only to the very first few monolayers. Delicate changes in the Au growth morphology are seen in the immediate steps following the initial replicated decoration of the QD arrays. This is followed by a subsequent clustering and finally a complete Au coverage of the QD arrays.

Surface distortion of Fe dot-decorated TiO2 nanotubular templates using time-of-flight grazing incidence small angle scattering.

Physical properties of nanoclusters, nanostructures and self-assembled nanodots, which in turn are concomitantly dependent upon the morphological properties, can be modulated for functional purposes. Here, in this article, magnetic nanodots of Fe on semiconductor TiO2 nanotubes (TNTs) are investigated with time-of-flight grazing incidence small-angle neutron scattering (TOF-GISANS) as a function of wavelength, chosen from a set of three TNT templates with different correlation lengths. The results are found corroborating with the localized scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images. As we probe the inside and the near-surface region of the Fe-dotted TNTs with respect to their homogeneity, surface distortion and long-range order using TOF-GISANS, gradual aberrations at the top of the near-surface region are identified. Magnetization measurements as a function of temperature and field do not show a typical ferromagnetic behavior but rather a supermagnetic one that is expected from a nonhomogeneous distribution of Fe-dots in the intertubular crevasses.

Lithium permeation within lithium niobate multilayers with ultrathin chromium, silicon and carbon spacer layers.

Li permeation through ultrathin Cr, Si and C layers and interfaces is of interest in the optimization of lithium ion batteries with respect to the control of Li flux. Twenty-one LiNbO3 layers (9 nm), which serve as solid state Li reservoirs, were sputter deposited in an alternating sequence of enriched 6Li or 7Li isotope fractions spaced with (8 nm) thin Cr, Si and C layers. The Li isotope contrast was used to measure Li permeation using depth profiling by secondary ion mass spectrometry and neutron reflectometry on a nanometer scale. Extremely low Li permeation for Cr and Si at room temperature exemplifies the effective blocking of Li movement at least for five years. However, Li permeation through C layers was found to be faster than through Cr and Si layers. With temperature, the Li permeation is enhanced through Cr as compared to that through Si layers. Furthermore, material characterisation shows amorphous LiNbO3, C and Si layers and polycrystalline Cr layers (with 80% elemental bcc chromium and 20% chromium-oxide situated at Cr/LiNbO3 interfaces). Annealing in air at 100 °C (373 K) does not oxidize the Cr layers any further. A stress of 12 GPa, which was measured in Cr spacer layers at room temperature, remains unchanged upon annealing. The origin of a weak ferromagnetic order measured at room temperature (300 K) was attributed to some traces of Cr and Si inside LiNbO3.

Proximity effects across oxide-interfaces of superconductor-insulator-ferromagnet hybrid heterostructure.

A case study of electron tunneling or charge-transfer-driven orbital ordering in superconductor (SC)-ferromagnet (FM) interfaces has been conducted in heteroepitaxial YBa2Cu3O7(YBCO)/La0.67Sr0.33MnO3(LSMO) multilayers interleaved with and without an insulating SrTiO3(STO) layer between YBCO and LSMO. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism experiments revealed anti-parallel alignment of Mn magnetic moments and induced Cu magnetic moments in a YBCO/LSMO multilayer. As compared to an isolated LSMO layer, the YBCO/LSMO multilayer displayed a (50%) weaker Mn magnetic signal, which is related to the usual proximity effect. It was a surprise that a similar proximity effect was also observed in a YBCO/STO/LSMO multilayer, however, the Mn signal was reduced by 20%. This reduced magnetic moment of Mn was further verified by depth sensitive polarized neutron reflectivity. Electron energy loss spectroscopy experiment showed the evidence of Ti magnetic polarization at the interfaces of the YBCO/STO/LSMO multilayer. This crossover magnetization is due to a transfer of interface electrons that migrate from Ti(4+)-δ to Mn at the STO/LSMO interface and to Cu2+ at the STO/YBCO interface, with hybridization via O 2p orbitals. So charge-transfer driven orbital ordering is the mechanism responsible for the observed proximity effect and Mn-Cu anti-parallel coupling in YBCO/STO/LSMO. This work provides an effective pathway in understanding the aspect of long range proximity effect and consequent orbital degeneracy parameter in magnetic coupling.

Structural and magnetic properties of cobalt iron disulfide (CoxFe1-xS2) nanocrystals.

We report on synthesis and investigation of nanocrystalline cobalt-iron-pyrites with an emphasis on nanocrystal structure, morphology and magnetic behavior. The nanocrystals (NCs) were 5-25 nm in diameter as characterized using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). With an increase in Fe fraction, X-ray diffraction and small-angle-X-ray scattering (SAXS) showed a systematic decrease in lattice constant, primary grain/NC size (15 to 7 nm), and nanoparticle (NP) size (70 to 20 nm), respectively. The temperature dependence of the DC magnetization and AC susceptibility versus frequency revealed a number of magnetic phases in Co x Fe1-xS2. Samples with x = 1 and x = 0.875-0.625 showed evidence of superspin glass (SSG) behavior with embedded ferromagnetic (FM) clusters of NPs. For x = 0.5, samples retained their mixed phases, but showed superparamagnetic (SPM) behavior with antiferromagnetic clusters suppressing magnetic dipolar interactions. Below x = 0.5, the pyrites show increasing paramagnetic character. We construct a phase diagram, which can be understood in terms of competition between the various dipolar, exchange, inter- and intracluster interactions. Our results suggest that NC size and shape can be tuned to engineer spin-polarized ferromagnetism of n-doped iron pyrite.

Publisher Correction: Atomic-scale engineering of ferroelectric-ferromagnetic interfaces of epitaxial perovskite films for functional properties.

A correction to this article has been published and is linked from the HTML version of this paper. The error has been fixed in the paper.

Atomic-scale engineering of ferroelectric-ferromagnetic interfaces of epitaxial perovskite films for functional properties.

Besides epitaxial mismatch that can be accommodated by lattice distortions and/or octahedral rotations, ferroelectric-ferromagnetic interfaces are affected by symmetry mismatch and subsequent magnetic ordering. Here, we have investigated La0.67 Sr0.33 MnO3 (LSMO) samples with varying underlying unit cells (uc) of BaTiO3 (BTO) layer on (001) and (110) oriented substrates in order to elucidate the role of symmetry mismatch. Lattice mismatch for 3 uc of BTO and symmetry mismatch for 10 uc of BTO, both associated with local MnO6 octahedral distortions of the (001) LSMO within the first few uc, are revealed by scanning transmission electron microscopy. Interestingly, we find exchange bias along the in-plane [110]/[100] directions only for the (001) oriented samples. Polarized neutron reflectivity measurements confirm the existence of a layer with zero net moment only within (001) oriented samples. First principle density functional calculations show that even though the bulk ground state of LSMO is ferromagnetic, a large lattice constant together with an excess of La can stabilize an antiferromagnetic LaMnO3-type phase at the interface region and explain the experimentally observed exchange bias. Atomic scale tuning of MnO6 octahedra can thus be made possible via symmetry mismatch at heteroepitaxial interfaces. This aspect can act as a vital parameter for structure-driven control of physical properties.

Realizing topological stability of magnetic helices in exchange-coupled multilayers for all-spin-based system.

Topologically stabilized spin configurations like helices in the form of planar domain walls (DWs) or vortex-like structures with magnetic functionalities are more often a theoretical prediction rather than experimental realization. In this paper we report on the exchange coupling and helical phase characteristics within Dy-Fe multilayers. The magnetic hysteresis loops with temperature show an exchange bias field of around 1.0 kOe at 10 K. Polarized neutron reflectivity reveal (i) ferrimagnetic alignment of the layers at low fields forming twisted magnetic helices and a more complicated but stable continuous helical arrangement at higher fields (ii) direct evidence of helices in the form of planar 2π-DWs within both layers of Fe and Dy. The helices within the Fe layers are topologically stabilized by the reasonably strong induced in-plane magnetocrystalline anisotropy of Dy and the exchange coupling at the Fe-Dy interfaces. The helices in Dy are plausibly reminiscent of the helical ordering at higher temperatures induced by the field history and interfacial strain. Stability of the helical order even at large fields have resulted in an effective modulation of the periodicity of the spin-density like waves and subsequent increase in storage energy. This opens broad perspectives for future scientific and technological applications in increasing the energy density for systems in the field of all-spin-based engineering which has the potential for energy-storing elements on nanometer length scales.

Superconductivity-induced magnetization depletion in a ferromagnet through an insulator in a ferromagnet-insulator-superconductor hybrid oxide heterostructure.

Coupling between superconducting and ferromagnetic states in hybrid oxide heterostructures is presently a topic of intense research. Such a coupling is due to the leakage of the Cooper pairs into the ferromagnet. However, tunneling of the Cooper pairs though an insulator was never considered plausible. Using depth sensitive polarized neutron reflectivity we demonstrate the coupling between superconductor and magnetic layers in epitaxial La2/3Ca1/3MnO3 (LCMO)/SrTiO3/YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) hybrid heterostructures, with SrTiO3 as an intervening oxide insulator layer between the ferromagnet and the superconductor. Measurements above and below the superconducting transition temperature (TSC) of YBCO demonstrate a large modulation of magnetization in the ferromagnetic layer below the TSC of YBCO in these heterostructures. This work highlights a unique tunneling phenomenon between the epitaxial layers of an oxide superconductor (YBCO) and a magnetic layer (LCMO) through an insulating layer. Our work would inspire further investigations on the fundamental aspect of a long range order of the triplet spin-pairing in hybrid structures.

Stiffness in vortex-like structures due to chirality-domains within a coupled helical rare-earth superlattice.

Vortex domain walls poses chirality or 'handedness' which can be exploited to act as memory units by changing their polarity with electric field or driving/manupulating the vortex itself by electric currents in multiferroics. Recently, domain walls formed by one dimensional array of vortex-like structures have been theoretically predicted to exist in disordered rare-earth helical magnets with topological defects. Here, in this report, we have used a combination of two rare-earth metals, e.g. superlattice that leads to long range magnetic order despite their competing anisotropies along the out-of-plane (Er) and in-plane (Tb) directions. Probing the vertically correlated magnetic structures by off-specular polarized neutron scattering we confirm the existence of such magnetic vortex-like domains associated with magnetic helical ordering within the Er layers. The vortex-like structures are predicted to have opposite chirality, side-by-side, and are fairly unaffected by the introduction of magnetic ordering between the interfacial Tb layers and also with the increase in magnetic field which is a direct consequence of screening of the vorticity in the system due to a helical background. Overall, the stability of these vortices over a wide range of temperatures, fields and interfacial coupling, opens up the opportunity for fundamental chiral spintronics in unconventional systems.

Templating growth of gold nanostructures with a CdSe quantum dot array.

In optoelectronic devices based on quantum dot arrays, thin nanolayers of gold are preferred as stable metal contacts and for connecting recombination centers. The optimal morphology requirements are uniform arrays with precisely controlled positions and sizes over a large area with long range ordering since this strongly affects device performance. To understand the development of gold layer nanomorphology, the detailed mechanism of structure formation are probed with time-resolved grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) during gold sputter deposition. Gold is sputtered on a CdSe quantum dot array with a characteristic quantum dot spacing of ≈7 nm. In the initial stages of gold nanostructure growth, a preferential deposition of gold on top of quantum dots occurs. Thus, the quantum dots act as nucleation sites for gold growth. In later stages, the gold nanoparticles surrounding the quantum dots undergo a coarsening to form a complete layer comprised of gold-dot clusters. Next, growth proceeds dominantly via vertical growth of gold on these gold-dot clusters to form an gold capping layer. In this capping layer, a shift of the cluster boundaries due to ripening is found. Thus, a templating of gold on a CdSe quantum dot array is feasible at low gold coverage.