arXiv subjects

Alireza Qaiumzadeh

Publications and source records attributed to Alireza Qaiumzadeh.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2021

Long-distance spin-transport across the Morin phase transition up to room temperature in ultra-low damping single crystals of the antiferromagnet α-Fe2O3

Antiferromagnetic materials can host spin-waves with polarizations ranging from circular to linear depending on their magnetic anisotropies. Until now, only easy-axis anisotropy antiferromagnets with circularly polarized spin-waves were reported to carry spin-information over long distances of micrometers. In this article, we report long-distance spin-transport in the easy-plane canted antiferromagnetic phase of hematite and at room temperature, where the linearly polarized magnons are not intuitively expected to carry spin. We demonstrate that the spin-transport signal decreases continuously through the easy-axis to easy-plane Morin transition, and persists in the easy-plane phase through current induced pairs of linearly polarized magnons with dephasing lengths in the micrometer range. We explain the long transport distance as a result of the low magnetic damping, which we measure to be below 0.0001 as in the best ferromagnets. All of this together demonstrates that long-distance transport can be achieved across a range of anisotropies and temperatures, up to room temperature, highlighting the promising potential of this insulating antiferromagnet for magnon-based devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Light-induced Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions in antiferromagnetic metals

The Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interaction plays an essential role in novel topological spintronics, and the ability to control this chiral interaction is of key importance. Developing a general microscopic framework to compute nonequilibrium DM interactions, we theoretically show that the ac electric field component of a laser pulse induces nonequilibrium static DM interactions in an antiferromagnetic (AFM) system in the presence of relativistic spin-orbit coupling. These nonequilibrium DM interactions might even be anisotropic depending on the direction of magnetic moments and the laser pulse polarization. We further show that intense polarized laser pulses can in principle generate both classes of DM interactions, i.e., bulk-type and interfacial-type, in a magnetic system even though the crystal symmetry prohibits one of them in equilibrium. Our results reveal another aspect of rich behavior of periodically driven spin systems and the far-from-equilibrium magnetic systems.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Propagation length of antiferromagnetic magnons governed by domain configurations

The compensated magnetic order and characteristic, terahertz frequencies of antiferromagnetic materials makes them promising candidates to develop a new class of robust, ultra-fast spintronic devices. The manipulation of antiferromagnetic spin-waves in thin films is anticipated to lead to new exotic phenomena such as spin-superfluidity, requiring an efficient propagation of spin-waves in thin films. However, the reported decay length in thin films has so far been limited to a few nanometers. In this work, we achieve efficient spin-wave propagation, over micrometer distances, in thin films of the insulating antiferromagnet hematite with large magnetic domains whilst evidencing much shorter attenuation lengths in multidomain thin films. Through transport and magnetic imaging, we conclude on the role of the magnetic domain structure and spin-wave scattering at domain walls to govern the transport. We manipulate the spin transport by tailoring the domain configuration through field cycle training. For the appropriate crystalline orientation, zero-field spin-transport is achieved across micrometers, as required for device integration.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Highly Tunable Spin-Orbit Torque and Anisotropic Magnetoresistance in a Topological Insulator Thin Film Attached to Ferromagnetic Layer

We investigate spin-charge conversion phenomena in hybrid structures of topological insulator (TI) thin films and magnetic insulators. We find an anisotropic inverse spin-galvanic effect (ISGE) that yields a highly tunable spin-orbit torque (SOT). Concentrating on the quasiballistic limit, we also predict a giant anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) at low dopings. These effects, which have no counterparts in thick TIs, depend on the simultaneous presence of the hybridization between the surface states and the in-plane magnetization. Both the ISGE and AMR exhibit a strong dependence on the magnetization and the Fermi level position and can be utilized for spintronics and SOT-based applications at the nanoscale.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Electrical and Thermal Transport in Antiferromagnet-Superconductor Junctions

We demonstrate that antiferromagnet-superconductor (AF-S) junctions show qualitatively different transport properties than normal metal-superconductor (N--S) and ferromagnet-superconductor (F-S) junctions. We attribute these transport features to presence of two new scattering processes in AF--S junctions, i.e., specular reflection of holes and retroreflection of electrons. Using the Blonder-Tinkham-Klapwijk formalism, we find that the electrical and thermal conductance depend nontrivially on antiferromagnetic exchange strength. Furthermore, we show that the interplay between the Néel vector direction and the interfacial Rashba spin-orbit coupling leads to a large anisotropic magnetoresistance. The unusual transport properties make AF--S interfaces unique among the traditional condensed-matter-system-based superconducting junctions.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2020

Theory of Domain-Wall Magnetoresistance in Metallic Antiferromagnets

We develop a theory to compute the domain-wall magnetoresistance (DWMR) in antiferromagnetic (AFM) metals with different spin structures. In the diffusive transport regime, the DWMR can be either {\it negative} or positive depending on the domain-wall orientation and spin structure. In contrast, when the transport is in the ballistic regime, the DWMR is always positive, and the magnitude depends on the width and orientation of the domain wall. Our results pave the way of using electrical measurements for probing the internal spin structure in antiferromagnetic metals.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Bose-Einstein Condensation of Nonequilibrium Magnons in Confined Systems

We study the formation of a room temperature magnon Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) in nanoscopic systems and demonstrate that its lifetime is influenced by the spatial confinement. We predict how dipolar interactions and nonlinear magnon scattering assist in the generation of a metastable magnon BEC in energy-quantized nanoscopic devices. We verify our prediction by a full numerical simulation of the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation and demonstrate the generation of magnon BEC in confined insulating magnets of yttrium iron garnet. We directly map out the nonlinear magnon scattering processes behind this phase transition to show how fast quantized thermalization channels allow the BEC formation in confined structures. Based on our results, we discuss a new mechanism to manipulate the BEC lifetime in nanoscaled systems. Our study greatly extends the freedom to study the dynamics of magnon BEC in realistic systems and to design integrated circuits for BEC-based applications at room temperature.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Strain and electric-field control of spin-spin interactions in monolayer CrI$_3$

We investigate the impact of mechanical strains and a perpendicular electric field on the electronic and magnetic ground-state properties of two-dimensional monolayer CrI$_3$ using density functional theory. We propose a minimal spin model Hamiltonian, consisting of symmetric isotropic exchange interactions, magnetic anisotropy energy, and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interactions, to capture most pertinent magnetic properties of the system. We compute the mechanical strain and electric field dependence of various spin-spin interactions. Our results show that both the amplitudes and signs of the exchange interactions can be engineered by means of strain, while the electric field affects only their amplitudes. However, strain and electric fields affect both the directions and amplitudes of the DM vectors. The amplitude of the magnetic anisotropy energy can also be substantially modified by an applied strain. We show that in comparison with an electric field, strain can be more efficiently used to manipulate the magnetic and electronic properties of the system. Notably, such systematic tuning of the spin interactions is essential for the engineering of room-temperature spintronic nanodevices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Scattering theory of transport through disordered magnets

We present a scattering theory of transport through noncollinear disordered magnetic insulators. For concreteness, we study and compare the random field model (RFM) and the random anisotropy model (RAM). The RFM and RAM are used to model random spin disorder systems and amorphous materials, respectively. We utilize the Landauer-Buttiker formalism to compute the transmission probability and spin conductance of one-dimensional disordered spin chains. The RFM and the RAM both exhibit Anderson localization, which means that the transmission probability and spin conductance decay exponentially with the system length. We define two localization lengths based on the transmission probability and the spin conductance, respectively. Next, we numerically determine the relationship between the localization lengths and the strength of the disorder. In the limit of weak disorder, we find that the localization lengths obey power laws and determine the critical exponents. Our results are expressed via the universal exchange length and are therefore expected to be general.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Ultrafast Control of Spin Interactions in Honeycomb Antiferromagnetic Insulators

Light enables ultrafast, direct and nonthermal control of the exchange and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions. We consider two-dimensional honeycomb lattices described by the Kane-Mele-Hubbard model at half filling and in the strongly correlated limit, i.e., the Mott insulator phase of a canted antiferromagnet. Based on Floquet theory, we demonstrate that by changing the amplitude and frequency of polarized laser pulses, one can tune the amplitudes and signs of and even the ratio between the exchange and Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya spin interactions. Furthermore, the renormalizations of the spin interactions are independent of helicity. Our results pave the way for ultrafast optical spin manipulation in recently discovered two-dimensional magnetic materials.

cond-mat.str-el↗

arXiv2019

Ultrafast generation and dynamics of isolated skyrmions in antiferromagnetic insulators

Based on atomistic spin dynamics simulations, we report the ultrafast generation of single antiferromagnetic (AFM) skyrmions in a confined geometry. This process is achieved through an effective magnetic field induced by the athermal inverse Faraday effect from a short laser pulse. The resulting field can nucleate an isolated skyrmion as a topologically protected metastable state in a collinear antiferromagnet with small Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. The radius of a single skyrmion is shown to increase by applying a uniform dc magnetic field and at increasing temperature. To investigate possible AFM spin-caloritronics phenomena, we investigate the skyrmion dynamics under an applied temperature gradient both analytically and numerically. The antiferromagnetic skyrmions move longitudinally toward the hotter region, but in contrast, small skyrmions in the very low damping regime move toward the colder side, irrespective of the staggered topological charge number, with a speed that is much faster than that of their ferromagnetic counterparts.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Anisotropies and magnetic phase transitions in insulating antiferromagnets determined by a Spin-Hall magnetoresistance probe

We demonstrate that we can determine the antiferromagnetic anisotropies and the bulk Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya fields of the insulating iron oxide hematite, α-Fe2O3, using a surface sensitive spin-Hall magnetoresistance (SMR) technique. We develop an analytical model that in combination with SMR measurements, allow for the identification of the material parameters of this prototypical antiferromagnet over a wide range of temperatures and magnetic field values. Using devices with different orientations, we demonstrate that the SMR response strongly depends on the direction of the charge current with respect to the magneto-crystalline anisotropies axis. We show that we can extract the anisotropies over a wide temperature range including across the Morin phase transition. We observe that the electrical response is dominated by the orientation of the antiferromagnetic Néel order parameter, rather than by the emergent weak magnetic moment. Our results highlight that the surface sensitivity of the SMR allows accessing the magnetic anisotropies of antiferromagnetic crystals and in particular thin films where other methods to determine anisotropies such as bulk-sensitive magnetic susceptibility measurements do not provide sufficient sensitivity.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Quantum magnetization fluctuations via spin shot noise

Recent measurements in current-driven spin valves demonstrate magnetization fluctuations that deviate from semiclassical predictions. We posit that the origin of this deviation is spin shot noise. On this basis, our theory predicts that magnetization fluctuations asymmetrically increase in biased junctions irrespective of the current direction. At low temperatures, the fluctuations are proportional to the bias, but at different rates for opposite current directions. Quantum effects control fluctuations even at higher temperatures. Our results are in semiquantitative agreement with recent experiments and are in contradiction to semiclassical theories of spin-transfer torque.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Intrinsic spin-orbit torque arising from Berry curvature in metallic-magnet/Cu-oxide interface

We report the observation of the intrinsic damping-like spin-orbit torque (SOT) arising from the Berry curvature in metallic-magnet/CuO$_x$ heterostructures. We show that a robust damping-like SOT, an order of magnitude larger than a field-like SOT, is generated in the heterostructure despite the absence of the bulk spin-orbit effect in the CuO$_x$ layer. Furthermore, by tuning the interface oxidation level, we demonstrate that the field-like SOT changes drastically and even switches its sign, which originates from oxygen modulated spin-dependent disorder. These results provide an important information for fundamental understanding of the physics of the SOTs.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

Theory of the Interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya Interaction in Rashba Antiferromagnets

In antiferromagnetic (AFM) thin films, broken inversion symmetry or coupling to adjacent heavy metals can induce Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya (DM) interactions. Knowledge of the DM parameters is essential for understanding and designing exotic spin structures, such as hedgehog Skyrmions and chiral Néel walls, which are attractive for use in novel information storage technologies. We introduce a framework for computing the DM interaction in two-dimensional Rashba antiferromagnets. Unlike in Rashba ferromagnets, the DM interaction is not suppressed even at low temperatures. The material parameters control both the strength and the sign of the interfacial DM interaction. Our results suggest a route toward controlling the DM interaction in AFM materials by means of doping and electric fields.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2018

Controlling Chiral Domain Walls in Antiferromagnets Using Spin-Wave Helicity

In antiferromagnets, the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction lifts the degeneracy of left- and right-circularly polarized spin waves. This relativistic coupling increases the efficiency of spin-wave-induced domain wall motion and leads to higher drift velocities. We show that in biaxial antiferromagnets, the spin-wave helicity controls both the direction and magnitude of the magnonic force on chiral domain walls. By contrast, in uniaxial antiferromagnets, the magnonic force is propulsive with a helicity dependent strength.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Generation of single skyrmions by picosecond magnetic field pulses

We numerically demonstrate an ultrafast method to create $\textit{single}$ skyrmions in a $\textit{collinear}$ ferromagnetic sample by applying a picosecond (effective) magnetic field pulse in the presence of Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. For small samples the applied magnetic field pulse could be either spatially uniform or nonuniform while for large samples a nonuniform and localized field is more effective. We examine the phase diagram of pulse width and amplitude for the nucleation. Our finding could ultimately be used to design future skyrmion-based devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Quantum capacitance of double-layer graphene

We study the ground-state properties of a double layer graphene system with the Coulomb interlayer electron-electron interaction modeled within the random phase approximation. We first obtain an expression of the quantum capacitance of a two layer system. In addition, we calculate the many-body exchange-correlation energy and quantum capacitance of the hybrid double layer graphene system at zero-temperature. We show an enhancement of the majority density layer thermodynamic density-of-states owing to an increasing interlayer interaction between two layers near the Dirac point. The quantum capacitance near the neutrality point behaves like square root of the total density, $α\sqrt{n}$, where the coefficient $α$ decreases by increasing the charge density imbalance between two layers. Furthermore, we show that the quantum capacitance changes linearly by the gate voltage. Our results can be verified by current experiments.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗