TY - JOUR
T1 - First-Principles Calculations Predict Tunable Large Magnetic Anisotropy Due to Spin-Polarized Quantum-Well Resonances in Nanometer-Thick SrRuO3Films
T2 - Implications for Spintronic Devices
AU - Huang, Angus
AU - Jeng, Horng Tay
AU - Chang, Ching Hao
N1 - Funding Information:
This work was supported by the Ministry of Science and Technology, Taiwan (Grant nos. MOST 106-2112-M-007-012-MY3, 107-2112-M-006-025-MY3, 108-2638-M-006-002-MY2, and 109-2112-M-007-034-MY3). J.H.T. is also thankful for support from NCHC, CINC-NTU, AS-iMATE-109-13, and CQT-NTHU-MOE, Taiwan. C.H.C. acknowledges support by the Yushan Young Scholar Program under the Ministry of Education (MOE) in Taiwan.
Publisher Copyright:
©
PY - 2021/6/25
Y1 - 2021/6/25
N2 - We demonstrate that the magnetic anisotropy in SrRuO3 (SRO) ultrathin films can be well controlled by thickness or electrical modulations: The easy axis (preferred magnetization direction) of a SRO ultrathin film can be switched between out-of-plane and in-plane magnetization either by altering the film thickness or by tuning the doping level through applying a gate voltage or chemical doping. Such a capability to manipulate the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy (MCAE) is given by the spin-orbit coupling (SOC)-induced energy splitting in the spin-polarized quantum well states (QWSs) near the Fermi level. These QWSs are susceptible to the intrinsic spin-orbit interaction and thus drive a large energy discrepancy when an SRO ultrathin film rotates its magnetization direction. As a result of the MCAE nature, a SRO film has a magnetic anisotropy approximately an order of magnitude larger than those in 3d-ferromagnet ultrathin films and its easy-axis direction depends on the film thickness, gate voltage, and substrate. This tunable large magnetic anisotropy in SRO ultrathin films provides an excellent route toward advanced spintronic devices such as storage and memory devices.
AB - We demonstrate that the magnetic anisotropy in SrRuO3 (SRO) ultrathin films can be well controlled by thickness or electrical modulations: The easy axis (preferred magnetization direction) of a SRO ultrathin film can be switched between out-of-plane and in-plane magnetization either by altering the film thickness or by tuning the doping level through applying a gate voltage or chemical doping. Such a capability to manipulate the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy (MCAE) is given by the spin-orbit coupling (SOC)-induced energy splitting in the spin-polarized quantum well states (QWSs) near the Fermi level. These QWSs are susceptible to the intrinsic spin-orbit interaction and thus drive a large energy discrepancy when an SRO ultrathin film rotates its magnetization direction. As a result of the MCAE nature, a SRO film has a magnetic anisotropy approximately an order of magnitude larger than those in 3d-ferromagnet ultrathin films and its easy-axis direction depends on the film thickness, gate voltage, and substrate. This tunable large magnetic anisotropy in SRO ultrathin films provides an excellent route toward advanced spintronic devices such as storage and memory devices.
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U2 - 10.1021/acsanm.1c00775
DO - 10.1021/acsanm.1c00775
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:85108323779
SN - 2574-0970
VL - 4
SP - 5932
EP - 5939
JO - ACS Applied Nano Materials
JF - ACS Applied Nano Materials
IS - 6
ER -