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Daniel Lacour

Publications and source records attributed to Daniel Lacour.

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Nanoscale stray fields from micromagnets for optimal spin qubit architecture

On-chip micromagnets generate local magnetic-field asymmetries, enabling electrical control of spin qubits via electric dipole spin resonance and their integration into circuit quantum electrodynamics (QED) architectures. Accurate prediction of spin-qubit performance requires modeling micromagnet stray fields beyond the saturated-magnet approximation, accounting for nonuniform magnetization. Here, we combine thin-film characterization of Co, Co/Ta multilayers, and CoFe films with nanoscale stray-field measurements using NV-center magnetometry in the unsaturated regime to establish a reliable micromagnetic simulation framework. We show that CoFe micromagnets generate antisymmetric fields in double quantum-dot geometries exceeding +/- 100mT, owing to their high saturation magnetization and favorable magnetocrystalline anisotropy. For spin qubits coupled to microwave resonators, the predicted spin-photon coupling reaches $\left| g_s/g_c \right| \approx 0.5$, where $g_c$ denotes the charge-photon coupling strength of the underlying charge qubit, highlighting the potential for high-fidelity operations in circuit QED architectures.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Exploring Co, Fe, and Ni Reference Layers for Single-Pulse All-Optical Reversal in Ferromagnetic Spin Valves

We investigate the magnetization reversal process induced by a single femtosecond laser pulse in ferromagnetic spin valves by systematically comparing reference layers composed of pure Co, Ni, and Fe. To circumvent the loss of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy associated with changes in reference layer material and thickness, we design spin valves with in plane magnetizations. While antiparallel to parallel switching is observed for all three elements, parallel to antiparallel switching occurs only with a Co reference layer and is absent with Ni and Fe. This difference is attributed to the distinct ultrafast magnetization dynamics of the reference materials. Our results support the hypothesis that parallel to antiparallel switching requires a rapid remagnetization of the reference layer, which generates a substantial negative spin current polarized opposite to the free layer magnetization an essential condition for triggering its reversal.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Magnetic SAW RFID Sensor Based on Love Wave for Detection of Magnetic Field and Temperature

Magnetic field measurement including a temperature compensation is essential for a magnetic field sensor. This study investigates a magnetic surface acoustic wave (MSAW) sensor in a reflective delay line configuration with two acoustic propagation paths with and without magnetic field sensitive layer. The delay in path with sensitive layer leads to magnetic field detection and the one without enable temperature measurement and thus compensation for the first path. The developed sensor is based on a ZnO/LiNbO$_3$ Ycut (X-direction) layered structure as Love wave platform. Love wave as a shear wave being more favorable for magnetic detection. Co-Fe-B is considered as sensitive layer to detect magnetic field changes and is deposited on the top of ZnO, but only on one of the two paths. We combined an original configuration of connected IDTs with a high electromechanical coupling coefficient (K$^2$) mode to improve the signal amplitude. The achieved sensor exhibits a high temperature and magnetic field sensitivity of -63 ppm/$^\circ$C and -781 ppm/mT, respectively. The temperature compensation method for magnetic field measurement is demonstrated using a differential measurement by subtracting the delay times obtained for the two paths with and without the sensitive layer. Finally, The sensor exhibited good repeatability at various temperatures. Moreover, the device developed allows in addition to the multisensor functionality, the radio frequency identification (RFID) which is necessary for the deployment of sensor networks.

eess.SP

Encoding information onto the charge and spin state of a paramagnetic atom using MgO tunnelling spintronics

An electrical current that flows across individual atoms can generate exotic quantum transport signatures in model junctions built using atomic tip or lateral techniques. So far, however, a viable industrial pathway for atom-driven devices has been lacking. Here, we demonstrate that a commercialized device platform can fill this nanotechnological gap. According to conducting tip atomic force microscopy, inserting C atoms into the MgO barrier of a magnetic tunnel junction generates nanotransport paths. Within magnetotransport experiments, this results in quantum interferences, and in Pauli spin blockade effects linked to tunneling magnetoresistance peaks that can be electrically controlled. We report an additional persistent memory effect that we attribute to the charging of a single "gating" C atom that is adjacent to a single C atom forming the microscale junction's effective nanotranport path. Local magnetometry experiments confirm the secondary role of magnetic stray fields on the C atoms. Our results show that, to exhibit atom-level properties, a device need not be nanoscaled, and position MgO tunneling spintronics as a promising platform to industrially implement quantum technologies.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Quantum advantage in a molecular spintronic engine that harvests thermal fluctuation energy

Recent theory and experiments have showcased how to harness quantum mechanics to assemble heat/information engines with efficiencies that surpass the classical Carnot limit. So far, this has required atomic engines that are driven by cumbersome external electromagnetic sources. Here, using molecular spintronics, we propose an implementation that is both electronic and autonomous. Our spintronic quantum engine heuristically deploys several known quantum assets by having a chain of spin qubits formed by the paramagnetic Co centers of phthalocyanine (Pc) molecules electronically interact with electron-spin selecting Fe/C60 interfaces. Density functional calculations reveal that transport fluctuations across the interface can stabilize spin coherence on the Co paramagnetic centers, which host spin flip processes. Across vertical molecular nanodevices, we measure enduring dc current generation, output power above room temperature, two quantum thermodynamical signatures of the engine's processes, and a record 89% spin polarization of current across the Fe/C60 interface. It is crucially this electron spin selection that forces, through demonic feedback and control, charge current to flow against the built-in potential barrier. Further research into spintronic quantum engines, insight into the quantum information processes within spintronic technologies, and retooling the spintronic-based information technology chain, could help accelerate the transition to clean energy.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Higgs and Goldstone spin-wave modes in striped magnetic texture

Spontaneous symmetry breaking is ubiquitous in physics. Its spectroscopic signature consists in the softening of a specific mode upon approaching the transition from the high symmetry side and its subsequent splitting into a zero-frequency "Goldstone" mode and a non-zero-frequency "Higgs" mode. Although they determine the whole system dynamics, these features are difficult to address in practice because of their vanishing coupling to most experimental probes and/or their strong interaction with other fluctuations. In this work, we consider a periodic magnetic modulation occurring in a ferromagnetic film with perpendicular-to-plane magnetic anisotropy and directly observe its Goldstone and Higgs spin-wave modes at room temperature using microwave and optical techniques. This simple system constitutes a particularly convenient platform for further exploring the dynamics of symmetry breaking.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Direct imaging of chiral domain walls and Néel-type skyrmionium in ferrimagnetic alloys

The evolution of chiral spin structures is studied in ferrimagnet Ta/Ir/Fe/GdFeCo/Pt multilayers as a function of temperature using scanning electron microscopy with polarization analysis (SEMPA). The GdFeCo ferrimagnet exhibits pure right-hand Néel-type domain wall (DW) spin textures over a large temperature range. This indicates the presence of a negative Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) that can originate from both the top Fe/Pt and the Co/Pt interfaces. From measurements of the DW width, as well as complementary magnetic characterization, the exchange stiffness as a function of temperature is ascertained. The exchange stiffness is surprisingly mostly constant, which is explained by theoretical predictions. Beyond single skyrmions, we find by direct imaging a pure Néel-type skyrmionium, which due to the absence of a skyrmion Hall angle is a promising topological spin structure to enable high impact potential applications in the next generation of spintronic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Faster chiral versus collinear magnetic order recovery after optical excitation revealed by femtosecond XUV scattering

While chiral spin structures stabilized by Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) are candidates as novel information carriers, their dynamics on the fs-ps timescale is little known. Since with the bulk Heisenberg exchange and the interfacial DMI two distinct exchange mechanisms are at play, the ultra-fast dynamics of the chiral order needs to be ascertained and compared to the dynamics of the conventional collinear order. Using an XUV free-electron laser we determine the fs-ps temporal evolution of the chiral order in domain walls in a magnetic thin film sample by an IR pump - X-ray magnetic scattering probe experiment. Upon demagnetisation we observe that the dichroic (CL-CR) signal connected with the chiral order correlator $m_z m_x$ in the domain walls recovers significantly faster than the (CL+CR) sum signal representing the average collinear domain magnetisation $m_z^2 + m_x^2$. We explore possible explanations based on spin structure dynamics and reduced transversal magnetisation fluctuations inside the domain walls and find that the latter can explain the experimental data leading to different dynamics for collinear magnetic order and chiral magnetic order.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Tunable stochasticity in an artificial spin network

Metamaterials present the possibility of artificially generating advanced functionalities through engineering of their internal structure. Artificial spin networks, in which a large number of nanoscale magnetic elements are coupled together, are promising metamaterial candidates that enable the control of collective magnetic behavior through tuning of the local interaction between elements. In this work, the motion of magnetic domain-walls in an artificial spin network leads to a tunable stochastic response of the metamaterial, which can be tailored through an external magnetic field and local lattice modifications. This type of tunable stochastic network produces a controllable random response exploiting intrinsic stochasticity within magnetic domain-wall motion at the nanoscale. An iconic demonstration used to illustrate the control of randomness is the Galton board. In this system, multiple balls fall into an array of pegs to generate a bell-shaped curve that can be modified via the array spacing or the tilt of the board. A nanoscale recreation of this experiment using an artificial spin network is employed to demonstrate tunable stochasticity. This type of tunable stochastic network opens new paths towards post-Von Neumann computing architectures such as Bayesian sensing or random neural networks, in which stochasticity is harnessed to efficiently perform complex computational tasks.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Low-energy spin precession in the molecular field of a magnetic thin film

Electronic spin precession and filtering are measured in the molecular field of magnetic thin films. The conducted lab-on-chip experiments allow injection of electrons with energies between 0.8 and 1.1 eV, an energy range never explored up to now in spin precession experiments. While filtering angles agree with previous reported values measured at much higher electron energies, spin precession angles of 2.5° in CoFe and 0.7° in Co per nanometer film thickness could be measured which are 30 times smaller than those previously measured at 7 eV. Band structure effects and layer roughness are responsible for these small precession angle values.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Linking electronic transport through a spin crossover thin film to the molecular spin state using X-ray absorption spectroscopy operando techniques

One promising route toward encoding information is to utilize the two stable electronic states of a spin crossover molecule. However, while this property is clearly manifested in transport across single molecule junctions, evidence linking charge transport across a solid-state device to the molecular film's spin state has thus far remained indirect. To establish this link, we deploy materials-centric and device-centric operando experiments involving X-ray absorption spectroscopy. We find a correlation between the temperature dependencies of the junction resistance and the Fe spin state within the device's Fe(bpz)2(phen) molecular film. We also factually observe that the Fe molecular site mediates charge transport. Our dual operando studies reveal that transport involves a subset of molecules within an electronically heterogeneous spin crossover film. Our work confers an insight that substantially improves the state-of-the-art regarding spin crossover-based devices, thanks to a methodology that can benefit device studies of other next-generation molecular compounds.

physics.app-ph

Thermal contribution to the spin-orbit torque in metallic/ferrimagnetic systems

We report a systematic study of current-induced perpendicular magnetization switching in W/Co$_{x}$Tb$_{1-x}$/Al thin films with strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Various Co$_{x}$Tb$_{1-x}$ ferrimagnetic alloys with different magnetic compensation temperatures are presented. The systems are characterized using MOKE, SQUID and anomalous Hall resistance at different cryostat temperature ranging from 10 K to 350 K. The current-switching experiments are performed in the spin-orbit torque geometry where the current pulses are injected in plane and the magnetization reversal is detected by measuring the Hall resistance. The full reversal magnetization has been observed in all samples. Some experimental results could only be explained by the strong sample heating effect during the current pulses injection. We have found that, for a given composition $x$ and switching polarity, the devices always reach the same temperature $\textit{T}_{switch}(x)$ before switching independently of the cryostat temperature. $\textit{T}_{switch}$ seems to scale with the Curie temperature of the Co$_{x}$Tb$_{1-x}$ ferrimagnetic alloys. This explains the evolution of the critical current (and critical current density) as a function of the alloy concentration. Future application could take advantages of this heating effect which allows reducing the in-plane external field. Unexpected double magnetization switching has been observed when the heat generated by the current allows crosses the compensation temperature.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Fragmentation of magnetism in artificial kagome dipolar spin ice

Geometrical frustration in magnetic materials often gives rise to exotic, low-temperature states of matter, like the ones observed in spin ices. Here we report the imaging of the magnetic states of a thermally-active artificial magnetic ice that reveal the fingerprints of a spin fragmentation process. This fragmentation corresponds to a splitting of the magnetic degree of freedom into two channels and is evidenced in both real and reciprocal space. Furthermore, the internal organization of both channels is interpreted within the framework of a hybrid spin-charge model that directly emerges from the parent spin model of the kagome dipolar spin ice. Our experimental and theoretical results provide insights into the physics of frustrated magnets and deepen our understanding of emergent fields through the use of tailor-made magnetism.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Light-induced magnetization reversal of high-anisotropy TbCo alloy films

Magnetization reversal using circularly polarized light provides a new way to control magnetization without any external magnetic field and has the potential to revolutionize magnetic data storage. However, in order to reach ultra-high density data storage, high anisotropy media providing thermal stability are needed. Here, we evidence all-optical magnetization switching for different TbxCo1-x ferrimagnetic alloy composition and demonstrate all-optical switching for films with anisotropy fields reaching 6 T corresponding to anisotropy constants of 3x106 ergs/cm3. Optical magnetization switching is observed only for alloys which compensation temperature can be reached through sample heating.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Wide range and tunable linear TMR sensor using two exchange pinned electrodes

A magnetic tunnel junction sensor is proposed, with both the detection and the reference layers pinned by IrMn. Using the differences in the blocking temperatures of the IrMn films with different thicknesses, crossed anisotropies can be induced between the detection and the reference electrodes. The pinning of the sensing electrode ensures a linear and reversible output. It also allows tuning both the sensitivity and the linear range of the sensor. The authors show that the sensitivity varies linearly with the ferromagnetic thickness of the detection electrode. It is demonstrated that an increased thickness leads to a rise of sensitivity and a reduction of the operating range.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Magnetic domain wall propagation in a submicron spin-valve stripe: influence of the pinned layer

The propagation of a domain wall in a submicron ferromagnetic spin-valve stripe is investigated using giant magnetoresistance. A notch in the stripe efficiently traps an injected wall stopping the domain propagation. The authors show that the magnetic field at which the wall is depinned displays a stochastic nature. Moreover, the depinning statistics are significantly different for head to head and tail-to-tail domain walls. This is attributed to the dipolar field generated in the vicinity of the notch by the pinned layer of the spin-valve.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

360 degree domain wall generation in the soft layer of magnetic tunnel junctions

High spatial resolution X-ray photo-emission electron microscopy technique has been used to study the influence of the dipolar coupling taking place between the NiFe and the Co ferromagnetic electrodes of micron sized, elliptical shaped magnetic tunnel junctions. The chemical selectivity of this technique allows to observe independently the magnetic domain structure in each ferromagnetic electrode. The combination of this powerful imaging technique with micromagnetic simulations allows to evidence that a 360 degree domain wall can be stabilized in the NiFe soft layer. In this letter, we discuss the origin and the formation conditions of those 360 degree domain walls evidenced experimentally and numerically.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci