Coherent Picture on the Pure Spin Transport between Ag/Bi and Ferromagnets.

In a joint effort of both experiments and first-principles calculations, we resolve a hotly debated controversy and provide a coherent picture on the pure spin transport between Ag/Bi and ferromagnets. We demonstrate a strong inverse Rashba-Edelstein effect (IREE) at the interface in between Ag/Bi with a ferromagnetic metal (FM) but not with a ferromagnetic insulator. This is in sharp contrast to the previously claimed IREE at Ag/Bi interface or inverse spin Hall effect dominated spin transport. A more than one order of magnitude modulation of IREE signal is realized for different Ag/Bi-FM interfaces, casting strong tunability and a new direction for searching efficient spintronics materials.

Unveiling the Mechanism for the Split Hysteresis Loop in Epitaxial Co2Fe1-xMnxAl Full-Heusler Alloy Films.

Utilizing epitaxial Co2Fe1-xMnxAl full-Heusler alloy films on GaAs (001), we address the controversy over the analysis for the split hysteresis loop which is commonly found in systems consisting of both uniaxial and fourfold anisotropies. Quantitative comparisons are carried out on the values of the twofold and fourfold anisotropy fields obtained with ferromagnetic resonance and vibrating sample magnetometer measurements. The most suitable model for describing the split hysteresis loop is identified. In combination with the component resolved magnetization measurements, these results provide compelling evidences that the switching is caused by the domain wall nucleation and movements with the switching fields centered at the point where the energy landscape shows equal minima for magnetization orienting near the easy axis and the field supported hard axis.

Spectroscopic study of Gd nanostructures quantum confined in Fe corrals.

Low dimensional nanostructures have attracted attention due to their rich physical properties and potential applications. The essential factor for their functionality is their electronic properties, which can be modified by quantum confinement. Here the electronic states of Gd atom trapped in open Fe corrals on Ag(111) were studied via scanning tunneling spectroscopy. A single spectroscopic peak above the Fermi level is observed after Gd adatoms are trapped inside Fe corrals, while two peaks appear in empty corrals. The single peak position is close to the higher energy peak of the empty corrals. These findings, attributed to quantum confinement of the corrals and Gd structures trapped inside, are supported by tight-binding calculations. This demonstrates and provides insights into atom trapping in open corrals of various diameters, giving an alternative approach to modify the properties of nano-objects.

Physical origins of the new magnetoresistance in Pt/YIG.

A new type of magnetoresistance (MR) observed in Pt/YIG when nominally nonmagnetic Pt comes in contact with a ferrimagnetic insulator yttrium iron garnet (YIG) has drawn intense experimental and theoretical interest. In this Letter, we experimentally demonstrate two physical origins of the new MR: a spin current across the Pt/YIG interface and the magnetic proximity effect. The new MR can also be reproduced when Pt is in contact with a nonmagnetic insulator doped with a few percent of Fe impurities. By tuning the YIG surface and inserting an Au layer between the Pt and YIG, we are able to separate the two contributions.

Inverse spin Hall effect in a ferromagnetic metal.

The inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) has been observed only in nonmagnetic metals, such as Pt and Au, with a strong spin-orbit coupling. We report the observation of ISHE in a ferromagnetic permalloy (Py) on ferromagnetic insulator yttrium iron garnet (YIG). Through controlling the spin current injection by altering the Py-YIG interface, we have isolated the spin current contribution and demonstrated the ISHE in a ferromagnetic metal, the reciprocal phenomenon of the anomalous Hall effect. A large spin Hall angle in Py, determined from Py thin films of different thicknesses, indicates many other ferromagnetic metals may be exploited as superior pure spin current detectors and for applications in spin current.

Creating an artificial two-dimensional Skyrmion crystal by nanopatterning.

A Skyrmion crystal typically arises from helical spin structures induced by the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. Experimentally its physical exploration has been impeded because it is a rarity and is found only within a narrow temperature and magnetic field range. We present a method for the assembly of a two-dimensional Skyrmion crystal based upon a combination of a perpendicularly magnetized film and nanopatterned arrays of magnetic vortices that are geometrically confined within nanodisks. The practical feasibility of the method is validated by micromagnetic simulations and computed Skyrmion number per unit cell. We also quantify a wide range in temperature and field strength over which the Skyrmion crystal can be stabilized without the need for any intrinsic Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions, which otherwise is needed to underpin the arrangement as is the case in the very few known Skyrmion crystal cases. Thus, our suggested scheme involves a qualitative breakthrough that comes with a substantial quantitative advance.