Spin-valley locking and bulk quantum Hall effect in a noncentrosymmetric Dirac semimetal BaMnSb2.

Spin-valley locking in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides has attracted enormous interest, since it offers potential for valleytronic and optoelectronic applications. Such an exotic electronic state has sparsely been seen in bulk materials. Here, we report spin-valley locking in a Dirac semimetal BaMnSb2. This is revealed by comprehensive studies using first principles calculations, tight-binding and effective model analyses, angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy measurements. Moreover, this material also exhibits a stacked quantum Hall effect (QHE). The spin-valley degeneracy extracted from the QHE is close to 2. This result, together with the Landau level spin splitting, further confirms the spin-valley locking picture. In the extreme quantum limit, we also observed a plateau in the z-axis resistance, suggestive of a two-dimensional chiral surface state present in the quantum Hall state. These findings establish BaMnSb2 as a rare platform for exploring coupled spin and valley physics in bulk single crystals and accessing 3D interacting topological states.

Materials challenges and opportunities for quantum computing hardware.

Quantum computing hardware technologies have advanced during the past two decades, with the goal of building systems that can solve problems that are intractable on classical computers. The ability to realize large-scale systems depends on major advances in materials science, materials engineering, and new fabrication techniques. We identify key materials challenges that currently limit progress in five quantum computing hardware platforms, propose how to tackle these problems, and discuss some new areas for exploration. Addressing these materials challenges will require scientists and engineers to work together to create new, interdisciplinary approaches beyond the current boundaries of the quantum computing field.

Room-Temperature Spin-Orbit Torque Switching Induced by a Topological Insulator.

The strongly spin-momentum coupled electronic states in topological insulators (TI) have been extensively pursued to realize efficient magnetic switching. However, previous studies show a large discrepancy of the charge-spin conversion efficiency. Moreover, current-induced magnetic switching with TI can only be observed at cryogenic temperatures. We report spin-orbit torque switching in a TI-ferrimagnet heterostructure with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy at room temperature. The obtained effective spin Hall angle of TI is substantially larger than the previously studied heavy metals. Our results demonstrate robust charge-spin conversion in TI and provide a direct avenue towards applicable TI-based spintronic devices.

Sum-rule constraints on the surface state conductance of topological insulators.

We report the Drude oscillator strength D and the magnitude of the bulk band gap E_{g} of the epitaxially grown, topological insulator (Bi,Sb)_{2}Te_{3}. The magnitude of E_{g}, in conjunction with the model independent f-sum rule, allows us to establish an upper bound for the magnitude of D expected in a typical Dirac-like system composed of linear bands. The experimentally observed D is found to be at or below this theoretical upper bound, demonstrating the effectiveness of alloying in eliminating bulk charge carriers. Moreover, direct comparison of the measured D to magnetoresistance measurements of the same sample supports assignment of the observed low-energy conduction to topological surface states.

Spin-transfer torque generated by a topological insulator.

Magnetic devices are a leading contender for the implementation of memory and logic technologies that are non-volatile, that can scale to high density and high speed, and that do not wear out. However, widespread application of magnetic memory and logic devices will require the development of efficient mechanisms for reorienting their magnetization using the least possible current and power. There has been considerable recent progress in this effort; in particular, it has been discovered that spin-orbit interactions in heavy-metal/ferromagnet bilayers can produce strong current-driven torques on the magnetic layer, via the spin Hall effect in the heavy metal or the Rashba-Edelstein effect in the ferromagnet. In the search for materials to provide even more efficient spin-orbit-induced torques, some proposals have suggested topological insulators, which possess a surface state in which the effects of spin-orbit coupling are maximal in the sense that an electron's spin orientation is fixed relative to its propagation direction. Here we report experiments showing that charge current flowing in-plane in a thin film of the topological insulator bismuth selenide (Bi2Se3) at room temperature can indeed exert a strong spin-transfer torque on an adjacent ferromagnetic permalloy (Ni81Fe19) thin film, with a direction consistent with that expected from the topological surface state. We find that the strength of the torque per unit charge current density in Bi2Se3 is greater than for any source of spin-transfer torque measured so far, even for non-ideal topological insulator films in which the surface states coexist with bulk conduction. Our data suggest that topological insulators could enable very efficient electrical manipulation of magnetic materials at room temperature, for memory and logic applications.

Measurements of nanoscale domain wall flexing in a ferromagnetic thin film.

We use the high spatial sensitivity of the anomalous Hall effect in the ferromagnetic semiconductor Ga(1-x)Mn(x)As, combined with the magneto-optical Kerr effect, to probe the nanoscale elastic flexing behavior of a single magnetic domain wall in a ferromagnetic thin film. Our technique allows position sensitive characterization of the pinning site density, which we estimate to be ∼10(14) cm(-3). Analysis of single site depinning events and their temperature dependence yields estimates of pinning site forces (10 pN range) as well as the thermal deactivation energy. Our data provide evidence for a much higher intrinsic domain wall mobility for flexing than previously observed in optically probed µm scale measurements.

Spin control of drifting electrons using local nuclear polarization in ferromagnet-semiconductor heterostructures.

We demonstrate methods to locally control the spin rotation of moving electrons in a GaAs channel. The Larmor frequency of optically injected spins is modulated when the spins are dragged through a region of spin-polarized nuclei created at a MnAs/GaAs interface. The effective field created by the nuclei is controlled either optically or electrically using the ferromagnetic proximity polarization effect. Spin rotation is also tuned by controlling the carrier traverse time through the polarized region. We demonstrate coherent spin rotations of 5π   rad during transport.

Growth of magneto-optically active (Zn,Mn)Se nanowires.

We describe the growth of Zn(1-x)Mn(x)Se nanowires in ultrahigh vacuum seeded by Au nanodroplets. Electron microscopy reveals the formation of single-crystal c-axis wurtzite nanowires (typically 1-3 microm long) with Mn concentrations up to x approximately 0.6, accompanied by a dense horizontal undergrowth of shorter, crooked nanowires. Magnetophotoluminescence measurements show evidence for sp-d exchange effects in a reduced symmetry environment. We find that the optical emission is surprisingly dominated by the undergrowth of crooked nanowires.

Scaling theory of magnetoresistance and carrier localization in Ga1-xMnxAs.

We compare experimental resistivity data on Ga1-xMnxAs films with theoretical calculations using a scaling theory for strongly disordered ferromagnets. The characteristic features of the temperature dependent resistivity can be quantitatively understood through this approach as originating from the close vicinity of the metal-insulator transition. However, accounting for thermal fluctuations is crucial for a quantitative description of the magnetic field induced changes in resistance. While the noninteracting scaling theory is in reasonable agreement with the data, we find clear evidence for interaction effects at low temperatures.

Onset of Ferromagnetism in Low-Doped Ga1-xMnxAs.

We develop a quantitatively predictive theory for impurity-band ferromagnetism in the low-doping regime of Ga1-xMnxAs. We compare it with measurements of a series of samples whose compositions span the transition from paramagnetic insulating to ferromagnetic conducting behavior. The theoretical Curie temperatures depend sensitively on the local fluctuations in the Mn-hole binding energy, which originate from Mn disorder and As antisite defects. The experimentally determined hopping energy is an excellent predictor of the Curie temperature, in agreement with the theory.

Current-induced polarization and the spin Hall effect at room temperature.

Electrically induced electron spin polarization is imaged in n-type ZnSe epilayers using Kerr rotation spectroscopy. Despite no evidence for an electrically induced internal magnetic field, current-induced in-plane spin polarization is observed with characteristic spin lifetimes that decrease with doping density. The spin Hall effect is also observed, indicated by an electrically induced out-of-plane spin polarization with opposite sign for spins accumulating on opposite edges of the sample. The spin Hall conductivity is estimated as 3+/-1.5 Omega(-1) m(-1)/|e| at 20 K, which is consistent with the extrinsic mechanism. Both the current-induced spin polarization and the spin Hall effect are observed at temperatures from 10 to 295 K.

Impurity band conduction in a high temperature ferromagnetic semiconductor.

The band structure of a prototypical dilute magnetic semiconductor (DMS), Ga1-xMnxAs, is studied across the phase diagram via infrared and optical spectroscopy. We prove that the Fermi energy (EF) resides in a Mn-induced impurity band (IB). Specifically the changes in the frequency dependent optical conductivity [sigma1(omega)] with carrier density are only consistent with EF lying in an IB. Furthermore, the large effective mass (m*) of the carriers inferred from our analysis of sigma1(omega) supports this conclusion. Our findings demonstrate that the metal to insulator transition in this DMS is qualitatively different from other III-V semiconductors doped with nonmagnetic impurities. We also provide insights into the anomalous transport properties of Ga1-xMnxAs.

Tunable anomalous Hall effect in a nonferromagnetic system.

We measure the low-field Hall resistivity of a magnetically doped two-dimensional electron gas as a function of temperature and electrically gated carrier density. Comparing these results with the carrier density extracted from Shubnikov-de Haas oscillations reveals an excess Hall resistivity that increases with decreasing temperature. This excess Hall resistivity qualitatively tracks the paramagnetic polarization of the sample, in analogy to the ferromagnetic anomalous Hall effect. The data are consistent with skew scattering of carriers by disorder near the crossover to localization.

Enhancement of spin coherence using Q-factor engineering in semiconductor microdisc lasers.

Semiconductor microcavities offer unique means of controlling light-matter interactions in confined geometries, resulting in a wide range of applications in optical communications and inspiring proposals for quantum information processing and computational schemes. Studies of spin dynamics in microcavities, a new and promising research field, have revealed effects such as polarization beats, stimulated spin scattering and giant Faraday rotation. Here, we study the electron spin dynamics in optically pumped GaAs microdisc lasers with quantum wells and interface-fluctuation quantum dots in the active region. In particular, we examine how the electron spin dynamics are modified by the stimulated emission in the discs, and observe an enhancement of the spin-coherence time when the optical excitation is in resonance with a high-quality (Q approximately 5,000) lasing mode. This resonant enhancement, contrary to expectations from the observed trend in the carrier-recombination time, is then manipulated by altering the cavity design and dimensions. In analogy with devices based on excitonic coherence, this ability to engineer coherent interactions between electron spins and photons may provide new pathways towards spin-dependent quantum optoelectronics.

Artificial 'spin ice' in a geometrically frustrated lattice of nanoscale ferromagnetic islands.

Frustration, defined as a competition between interactions such that not all of them can be satisfied, is important in systems ranging from neural networks to structural glasses. Geometrical frustration, which arises from the topology of a well-ordered structure rather than from disorder, has recently become a topic of considerable interest. In particular, geometrical frustration among spins in magnetic materials can lead to exotic low-temperature states, including 'spin ice', in which the local moments mimic the frustration of hydrogen ion positions in frozen water. Here we report an artificial geometrically frustrated magnet based on an array of lithographically fabricated single-domain ferromagnetic islands. The islands are arranged such that the dipole interactions create a two-dimensional analogue to spin ice. Images of the magnetic moments of individual elements in this correlated system allow us to study the local accommodation of frustration. We see both ice-like short-range correlations and an absence of long-range correlations, behaviour which is strikingly similar to the low-temperature state of spin ice. These results demonstrate that artificial frustrated magnets can provide an uncharted arena in which the physics of frustration can be directly visualized.

Direct measurement of the spin polarization of the magnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As.

We have carried out a direct measurement of the degree of spin polarization (P) of the magnetic semiconductor Ga1-xMnxAs using Andreev reflection spectroscopy. Analyses of the conductance spectra of high transparency Ga(0.95)Mn(0.05)As/Ga junctions consistently yield an intrinsic value for P greater than 85%. Our experiments also revealed an extreme sensitivity of the measured spin polarization to the nature and quality of the interface for this material.

Persistent sourcing of coherent spins for multifunctional semiconductor spintronics.

Recent studies of n-type semiconductors have demonstrated spin-coherent transport over macroscopic distances, with spin-coherence times exceeding 100 ns; such materials are therefore potentially useful building blocks for spin-polarized electronics ('spintronics'). Spin injection into a semiconductor (a necessary step for spin electronics) has proved difficult; the only successful approach involves classical injection of spins from magnetic semiconductors. Other work has shown that optical excitation can provide a short (<500 ps) non-equilibrium burst of coherent spin transfer across a GaAs/ZnSe interface, but less than 10% of the total spin crosses into the ZnSe layer, leaving long-lived spins trapped in the GaAs layer (ref. 9). Here we report a 'persistent' spin-conduction mode in biased semiconductor heterostructures, in which the sourcing of coherent spin transfer lasts at least 1-2 orders of magnitude longer than in unbiased structures. We use time-resolved Kerr spectroscopy to distinguish several parallel channels of interlayer spin-coherent injection. The relative increase in spin-coherent injection is up to 500% in the biased structures, and up to 4,000% when p-n junctions are used to impose a built-in bias. These experiments reveal promising opportunities for multifunctional spin electronic devices (such as spin transistors that combine memory and logic functions), in which the amplitude and phase of the net spin current are controlled by either electrical or magnetic fields.

Ultrafast manipulation of electron spin coherence.

A technique is developed with the potential for coherent all-optical control over electron spins in semiconductors on femtosecond time scales. The experiments show that optical "tipping" pulses can enact substantial rotations of electron spins through a mechanism dependent on the optical Stark effect. These rotations were measured as changes in the amplitude of spin precession after optical excitation in a transverse magnetic field and approach pi/2 radians. A prototype sequence of two tipping pulses indicates that the rotation is reversible, a result that establishes the coherent nature of the tipping process.

Magnetization measurements of magnetic two-dimensional electron gases.

We directly measure the magnetization of both the conduction electrons and Mn2+ ions in (Zn,Cd,Mn)Se two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) by integrating them into ultrasensitive micromechanical magnetometers. The interplay between spin and orbital energy in these magnetic 2DEGs causes Landau level degeneracies at the Fermi energy. These Landau level crossings result in novel features in the de Haas-van Alphen oscillations, which are quantitatively reproduced by a simple model.

Coherent transfer of spin through a semiconductor heterointerface.

Spin transport between two semiconductors of widely different band gaps is time resolved by two-color pump-probe optical spectroscopy. Electron spin coherence is created in a GaAs substrate and subsequently appears in an adjacent ZnSe epilayer at temperatures ranging from 5 to 300 K. The data show that spin information can be protected by transport to regions of low spin decoherence, and regional boundaries used to control the resulting spin coherent phase.