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Correlation-Driven Eightfold Magnetic Anisotropy in a Two-Dimensional Oxide Monolayer

Published

Author(s)

Zhangzhang Cui, Alexander Grutter, Hua Zhou, Hui Cao, Yongqi Dong, Dustin A. Gilbert, Jingyuan Wang, Yi-Sheng Liu, Jiaji Ma, Zhenpeng Hu, Jinghua Guo, Jing Xia, Brian Kirby, Padraic Shafer, Elke Arenholz, Hanghui Chen, Xiaofang Zhai, Yalin Lu

Abstract

Engineering magnetic anisotropy (MA) in two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnetic materials has enormous scientific and technological implications. The uniaxial anisotropy universally exhibited by 2D ferromagnetic materials has only two stable spin directions, demanding 180 ° spin switching between states1,2. Higher-fold symmetries with multiple magnetic easy axes enable easier spin switching, opening pathways toward low-power, multi-state spintronic devices. We have realized a correlation-driven spin reorientation transition in (SrRuO3)2/(SrTiO3)N superlattices, where the uniaxial <001> easy axis of Ru Spins in N<3 superlattices transforms into an eightfold easy axis along the <111> directions in N≥3 superlattices. This eightfold anisotropy enables 71° spin switching in 2D ferromagnetic SrRuO3. First-principle calculations find that increasing SrTiO3 layer thickness induces a correlation-driven orbital ordering, tuning spin-orbit interactions and reorienting the SrRuO3 monolayer easy axis. This work reveals methods for inducing novel MA in 2D ferromagnets through digital oxide superlattice design, opening exciting opportunities for spintronic applications.
Citation
Science Advances
Volume
6
Issue
15

Keywords

Ferromagnetism, Tw-dimensional, Monolayer, Thin Film, Complex Oxide, Superlattice, Perovskite, Correlated electrons

Citation

Cui, Z. , Grutter, A. , Zhou, H. , Cao, H. , Dong, Y. , Gilbert, D. , Wang, J. , Liu, Y. , Ma, J. , Hu, Z. , Guo, J. , Xia, J. , Kirby, B. , Shafer, P. , Arenholz, E. , Chen, H. , Zhai, X. and Lu, Y. (2020), Correlation-Driven Eightfold Magnetic Anisotropy in a Two-Dimensional Oxide Monolayer, Science Advances, [online], https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=927759 (Accessed December 10, 2024)

Issues

If you have any questions about this publication or are having problems accessing it, please contact reflib@nist.gov.

Created April 9, 2020, Updated October 12, 2021