arXiv subjects

Guanzhong Wu

Publications and source records attributed to Guanzhong Wu.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2023

Hybrid spin Hall nano-oscillators based on ferromagnetic metal/ferrimagnetic insulator heterostructures

Spin-Hall nano-oscillators (SHNOs) are promising spintronic devices to realize current controlled GHz frequency signals in nanoscale devices for neuromorphic computing and creating Ising systems. However, traditional SHNOs -- devices based on transition metals -- have high auto-oscillation threshold currents as well as low quality factors and output powers. Here we demonstrate a new type of hybrid SHNO based on a permalloy (Py) ferromagnetic-metal nanowire and low-damping ferrimagnetic insulator, in the form of epitaxial lithium aluminum ferrite (LAFO) thin films. The superior characteristics of such SHNOs are associated with the excitation of larger spin-precession angles and volumes. We further find that the presence of the ferrimagnetic insulator enhances the auto-oscillation amplitude of spin-wave edge modes, consistent with our micromagnetic modeling. This hybrid SHNO expands spintronic applications, including providing new means of coupling multiple SHNOs for neuromorphic computing and advancing magnonics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Long lifetime of thermally-excited magnons in bulk yttrium iron garnet

Spin currents are generated within the bulk of magnetic materials due to heat flow, an effect called intrinsic spin-Seebeck. This bulk bosonic spin current consists of a diffusing thermal magnon cloud, parametrized by the magnon chemical potential ($μ_{m}$), with a diffusion length of several microns in yttrium iron garnet (YIG). Transient opto-thermal measurements of the spin-Seebeck effect (SSE) as a function of temperature reveal the time evolution of $μ_{m}$ due to intrinsic SSE in YIG. The interface SSE develops at times < 2 ns while the intrinsic SSE signal continues to evolve at times > 500 $μ$s, dominating the temperature dependence of SSE in bulk YIG. Time-dependent SSE data are fit to a multi-temperature model of coupled spin/heat transport using finite element method (FEM), where the magnon spin lifetime ($τ$) and magnon-phonon thermalization time ($τ_{mp}$) are used as fit parameters. From 300 K to 4 K, $τ_{mp}$ varies from 1 to 10 ns, whereas $τ$ varies from 2 to 60 $μ$s with the spin lifetime peaking at 90 K. At low temperature, a reduction in $τ$ is observed consistent with impurity relaxation reported in ferromagnetic resonance measurements. These results demonstrate that the thermal magnon cloud in YIG contains extremely low frequency magnons (~10 GHz) providing spectral insight to the microscopic scattering processes involved in magnon spin/heat diffusion.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

Spin inversion in graphene spin valves by gate-tunable magnetic proximity effect at one-dimensional contacts

Graphene has remarkable opportunities for spintronics due to its high mobility and long spin diffusion length, especially when encapsulated in hexagonal boron nitride (h-BN). Here, for the first time, we demonstrate gate-tunable spin transport in such encapsulated graphene-based spin valves with one-dimensional (1D) ferromagnetic edge contacts. An electrostatic backgate tunes the Fermi level of graphene to probe different energy levels of the spin-polarized density of states (DOS) of the 1D ferromagnetic contact, which interact through a magnetic proximity effect (MPE) that induces ferromagnetism in graphene. In contrast to conventional spin valves, where switching between high- and low-resistance configuration requires magnetization reversal by an applied magnetic field or a high-density spin-polarized current, we provide an alternative path with the gate-controlled spin inversion in graphene. The resulting tunable MPE employing a simple ferromagnetic metal holds promise for spintronic devices and to realize exotic topological states, from quantum spin Hall and quantum anomalous Hall effects, to Majorana fermions and skyrmions.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2017

Opto-Valleytronic Spin Injection in Monolayer MoS2/Few-Layer Graphene Hybrid Spin Valves

Two dimensional (2D) materials provide a unique platform for spintronics and valleytronics due to the ability to combine vastly different functionalities into one vertically-stacked heterostructure, where the strengths of each of the constituent materials can compensate for the weaknesses of the others. Graphene has been demonstrated to be an exceptional material for spin transport at room temperature, however it lacks a coupling of the spin and optical degrees of freedom. In contrast, spin/valley polarization can be efficiently generated in monolayer transition metal dichalcogenides (TMD) such as MoS2 via absorption of circularly-polarized photons, but lateral spin or valley transport has not been realized at room temperature. In this letter, we fabricate monolayer MoS2/few-layer graphene hybrid spin valves and demonstrate, for the first time, the opto-valleytronic spin injection across a TMD/graphene interface. We observe that the magnitude and direction of spin polarization is controlled by both helicity and photon energy. In addition, Hanle spin precession measurements confirm optical spin injection, spin transport, and electrical detection up to room temperature. Finally, analysis by a one-dimensional drift-diffusion model quantifies the optically injected spin current and the spin transport parameters. Our results demonstrate a 2D spintronic/valleytronic system that achieves optical spin injection and lateral spin transport at room temperature in a single device, which paves the way for multifunctional 2D spintronic devices for memory and logic applications.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗