Magnetization manipulation and antiferromagnetic dynamics driven by spin current in Weyl semimetals

非技术摘要：控制固态材料的磁性能是日常生活中广泛使用的许多设备的关键。这些设备的应用包括计算机中的数据存储、信用卡上的数据加密和高频信号生成等。常规地，通过使用外部施加的磁场来获得磁状态的控制，但是这限制了这些设备的物理占用空间和操作速度。然而，通过其他手段控制铁磁和反铁磁材料中的磁状态，例如利用电场或充电电流，可以克服这些限制，并可能实现更先进的纳米级器件，用于以极高的速度产生，传输和处理信号。然而，对铁磁和反铁磁材料中磁态的电流诱导控制和自旋动力学的基本理解仍处于起步阶段。该项目将研究一种新兴的量子固态材料平台，即Weyl半金属，以展示通过电荷电流控制磁状态。在这些量子材料中，原子以特殊的配置排列，产生独特的性质，这反过来又允许有效控制铁磁材料中的磁状态，并在反铁磁材料中诱导自旋动力学。该研究项目的成功将为全面理解磁性材料中电荷电流诱导的自旋操纵和动力学奠定基础，这将对新兴的量子自旋电子学领域产生深远的影响。此外，该研究项目将为来自合作少数族裔服务机构的本科生提供研究经验、培训和积极的指导。将与大匹兹堡地区的中学和高中教师建立联系，以制定关于电和磁主题的详细课程计划的物理演示。技术摘要：一种能量有效和无场的磁序操纵，即，利用电场感应的自旋电流来测量铁磁体的净磁化强度或反铁磁体的Ne 'el矢量，是实现高级自旋电子学应用的关键，这些应用包括用于产生、传输和检测高频信号的超快磁存储器件、太赫兹振荡器和磁振子器件。另一方面，具有较低晶体对称性的拓扑材料，如Weyl半金属，具有自旋动量锁定的电子态，可以导致有效的电荷到自旋转换和大量其他与量子自旋电子学高度相关的新现象。本研究计画将利用货车瓦氏基Weyl半金属的结晶薄膜，并将其与各种磁性系统耦合，以建立原子级尖锐的超晶格，用于研究自旋操控和自旋动力学。本研究项目的科学目标有两个方面：（1）获得半导体和绝缘铁磁体中无场自旋轨道转矩磁化翻转的基本机制的时间分辨和空间分辨视图。(2)利用外尔半金属中的面外取向自旋电流，研究易平面反铁磁体中自旋电流诱导的Ne 'el矢量动力学以及随后的反铁磁体自旋泵浦。该研究目标旨在展示反铁磁振荡器的工作原理。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Non-technical abstract:Control of the magnetic properties in solid-state materials is key to the operation of many devices that are extensively used in daily life. Applications of such devices include data storage in computers, data encryption on credit cards, and high-frequency signal generation, to name a few. Conventionally, the control of magnetic state is obtained by using an externally applied magnetic field, but this restricts the physical footprint and operational speed of these devices. However, the control of the magnetic state in ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic materials by other means, such as utilizing electric field or charge current, can overcome these limitations, and potentially realize more advanced nanoscale devices for generating, transmitting, and processing signals at extremely high speeds. However, the fundamental understanding of electric current-induced control and spin dynamics of the magnetic state in ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic materials is still in its infancy. This project will study an emergent quantum solid-state material platform, namely Weyl semimetals, to demonstrate control of the magnetic state through electric charge current. In these quantum materials, the atoms are arranged in a special configuration that gives rise to unique properties, which in turn allow for an efficient control of magnetic state in ferromagnetic materials and induce spin dynamics in antiferromagnetic materials. The success of this research project will lay the foundation to build a comprehensive understanding of electric charge current-induced spin manipulation and dynamics in magnetic materials, which will have far reaching implications for the emerging field of quantum spintronics. Furthermore, this research project will provide research experience, training, and active mentorship to undergraduate students from a collaborating minority serving institution. Connections with middle school and high school teachers in the greater Pittsburgh area will be established to develop physics demonstrations with detailed lesson plans on the topics of electricity and magnetism. Technical abstract:An energy efficient and field-free manipulation of the magnetic order, i.e., net magnetization of a ferromagnet or Néel vector of an antiferromagnet, using electric field induced spin current is key to realize advanced spintronic applications that include ultra-fast magnetic memory devices, terahertz oscillators, and magnonic devices for generation, transmission, and detection of high-frequency signals. On the other hand, topological materials with lower crystal symmetries, such as Weyl semimetals, host spin-momentum locked electronic states that can lead to an efficient charge to spin transduction and a plethora of other novel phenomena that are highly relevant for quantum spintronics. This research project will utilize crystalline thin films of van der Waals based Weyl semimetals and couple them with a variety of magnetic systems to build atomically sharp superlattices for studying spin manipulation and spin dynamics. The scientific objectives of this research project are two-fold: (1) To obtain a time resolved and spatially resolved view on the underlying mechanisms of field-free spin-orbit torque switching of magnetization in semiconducting and insulating ferromagnets. (2) To study spin-current induced Néel vector dynamics in easy plane antiferromagnets and subsequent spin-pumping from antiferromagnets by exploiting out-of-plane oriented spin current in Weyl semimetals. This research objective is aimed at demonstrating the working principle of an antiferromagnetic oscillator.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.