arXiv subjects

Jean-Philippe Attané

Publications and source records attributed to Jean-Philippe Attané.

18 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Measuring the magnetic anisotropy of the spin Hall effect and spin relaxation length in nickel and permalloy via electrical spin injection

The spin Hall effect in ferromagnets is of great interest in the field of spintronics, and while the effect has been quantified in many materials, the dependence of the spin Hall angle on the relative orientation of spin polarization and the magnetization is less well studied. Of equal importance for the purpose of spin-charge interconversion in ferromagnets is the spin relaxation length, which is predicted to be highly anisotropic with respect to magnetization. Using a modified lateral spin valve geometry with a copper channel and permalloy spin injector, we measure the dependence of the spin Hall angle and spin relaxation length on magnetization orientation in permalloy and nickel, using two distinct device geometries. This allows us to disentangle the contributions of the spin relaxation length and spin Hall angle to the measured spin-charge interconversion voltage output. Our results indicate a large anisotropy in both the spin relaxation length and spin Hall angle in both permalloy and nickel, in agreement with theoretical calculations. The quantities change in opposite directions, with the spin relaxation length rising as the magnetization is moved parallel to the spin polarization and the spin Hall angle falling, leading to a near total cancellation of the spin-charge interconversion output.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Gate-voltage switching of non-reciprocal transport in oxide-based Rashba interfaces

The linear magnetoelectric effect (ME) is the phenomenon by which an electric field produces a magnetization. Its observation requires both time-reversal and space-inversion symmetries to be broken, as in multiferroics. While the ME effect has only been studied in insulating materials, it can actually exist in non-centrosymmetric conductors such as two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) with Rashba spin-orbit coupling. It is then coined the Edelstein effect (EE), by which a bias voltage -- generating a charge current -- produces a transverse spin density, i.e. a magnetization. Interestingly, 2D systems are sensitive to voltage gating, which provides an extra handle to control the EE. Here, we show that the sign of the EE in a SrTiO$_3$ 2DEG can be controlled by a gate voltage. We propose various logic devices harnessing the dual control of the spin density by current and gate voltages and discuss the potential of our findings for gate-tunable non-reciprocal electronics.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

All-electrical detection of the spin-charge conversion in nanodevices based on SrTiO3 two-dimensional electron gases

The Magnetoelectric Spin-Orbit (MESO) technology aims to bring logic into memory by combining a ferromagnet with a magnetoelectric (ME) element for information writing, and a spin-orbit (SO) element for information read-out through spin-charge conversion. Among candidate SO materials to achieve a large MESO output signal, oxide Rashba two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) have shown very large spin-charge conversion efficiencies, albeit mostly in spin-pumping experiments. Here, we report all-electrical spin-injection and spin-charge conversion experiments in nanoscale devices harnessing the inverse Edelstein effect of SrTiO3 2DEGs. We have designed, patterned and fabricated nanodevices in which a spin current injected from a cobalt layer into the 2DEG is converted into a charge current. We optimized the spin-charge conversion signal by applying back-gate voltages, and studied its temperature evolution. We further disentangled the inverse Edelstein contribution from spurious effects such as the planar Hall effect, the anomalous Hall effect or the anisotropic magnetoresistance. The combination of non-volatility and high energy efficiency of these devices could potentially lead to new technology paradigms for beyond-CMOS computing architectures.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Electrical characterization of the azimuthal anisotropy of $(\mathrm{Ni}_x\mathrm{Co}_{1-x})\mathrm{B}$-based ferromagnetic nanotubes

We report on the structural, electric and magnetic properties of $(\mathrm{Ni}_x\mathrm{Co}_{1-x})\mathrm{B}$ ferromagnetic nanotubes, displaying azimuthal magnetization. The tubes are fabricated using electroless plating in polycarbonate porous templates, with lengths several tens of micrometers, diameters from 100nm to 500nm and wall thicknesses from 10nm to 80nm. The resistivity is $\sim 1.5\times10^{-6}\mathrm{Ω/m}$, and the anisotropic magnetoresistance~(AMR) of 0.2-0.3%, one order of magnitude larger~(resp. smaller) than in the bulk material, which we attribute to the resistance at grain boundaries. We determined the azimuthal anisotropy field from M(H) AMR loops of single tubes contacted electrically. Its magnitude is around 10mT, and tends to increase with the tube wall thickness, as well as the Co content. However, surprisingly it does not dependent much on the diameter nor on the curvature.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Non-volatile electric control of spin-orbit torques in an oxide two-dimensional electron gas

Spin-orbit torques (SOTs) have opened a novel way to manipulate the magnetization using in-plane current, with a great potential for the development of fast and low power information technologies. It has been recently shown that two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) appearing at oxide interfaces provide a highly efficient spin-to-charge current interconversion. The ability to manipulate 2DEGs using gate voltages could offer a degree of freedom lacking in the classical ferromagnetic/spin Hall effect bilayers for spin-orbitronics, in which the sign and amplitude of SOTs at a given current are fixed by the stack structure. Here, we report the non-volatile electric-field control of SOTs in an oxide-based Rashba-Edelstein 2DEG. We demonstrate that the 2DEG is controlled using a back-gate electric-field, providing two remanent and switchable states, with a large resistance contrast of 1064%. The SOTs can then be controlled electrically in a non-volatile way, both in amplitude and in sign. This achievement in a 2DEG-CoFeB/MgO heterostructures with large perpendicular magnetization further validates the compatibility of oxide 2DEGs for magnetic tunnel junction integration, paving the way to the advent of electrically reconfigurable SOT MRAMS circuits, SOT oscillators, skyrmion and domain-wall-based devices, and magnonic circuits.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Spin-charge interconversion in KTaO$_3$ two-dimensional electron gases

Oxide interfaces exhibit a broad range of physical effects stemming from broken inversion symmetry. In particular, they can display non-reciprocal phenomena when time reversal symmetry is also broken, e.g., by the application of a magnetic field. Examples include the direct and inverse Edelstein effects (DEE, IEE) that allow the interconversion between spin currents and charge currents. The DEE and IEE have been investigated in interfaces based on the perovskite SrTiO$_3$ (STO), albeit in separate studies focusing on one or the other. The demonstration of these effects remains mostly elusive in other oxide interface systems despite their blossoming in the last decade. Here, we report the observation of both the DEE and IEE in a new interfacial two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) based on the perovskite oxide KTaO$_3$. We generate 2DEGs by the simple deposition of Al metal onto KTaO$_3$ single crystals, characterize them by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy and magnetotransport, and demonstrate the DEE through unidirectional magnetoresistance and the IEE by spin-pumping experiments. We compare the spin-charge interconversion efficiency with that of STO-based interfaces, relate it to the 2DEG electronic structure, and give perspectives for the implementation of KTaO$_3$ 2DEGs into spin-orbitronic devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Evidence of interfacial asymmetric spin scattering at ferromagnet-Pt interfaces

We measure the spin-charge interconversion by the spin Hall effect in ferromagnetic/Pt nanodevices. The extracted effective spin Hall angles (SHAs) of Pt evolve drastically with the ferromagnetic (FM) materials (CoFe, Co, and NiFe), when assuming transparent interfaces and a bulk origin of the spin injection/detection by the FM elements. By carefully measuring the interface resistance, we show that it is quite large and cannot be neglected. We then evidence that the spin injection/detection at the FM/Pt interfaces are dominated by the spin polarization of the interfaces. We show that interfacial asymmetric spin scattering becomes the driving mechanism of the spin injection in our samples.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Oxide spin-orbitronics: spin-charge interconversion and topological spin textures

Quantum oxide materials possess a vast range of properties stemming from the interplay between the lattice, charge, spin and orbital degrees of freedom, in which electron correlations often play an important role. Historically, the spin-orbit coupling was rarely a dominant energy scale in oxides. It however recently came to the forefront, unleashing various exotic phenomena connected with real and reciprocal-space topology that may be harnessed in spintronics. In this article, we review the recent advances in the new field of oxide spin-orbitronics with a special focus on spin-charge interconversion from the direct and inverse spin Hall and Edelstein effects, and on the generation and observation of topological spin textures such as skyrmions. We highlight the control of spin-orbit-driven effects by ferroelectricity and give perspectives for the field.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Room-temperature ferroelectric switching of spin-to-charge conversion in GeTe

Since its birth in the 1990s, semiconductor spintronics has suffered from poor compatibility with ferromagnets as sources of spin. While the broken inversion symmetry of some semiconductors may alternatively allow for spin-charge interconversion, its control by electric fields is volatile. Ferroelectric Rashba semiconductors stand as appealing materials unifying semiconductivity, large spin-orbit coupling, and non-volatility endowed by ferroelectricity. However, their potential for spintronics has been little explored. Here, we demonstrate the non-volatile, ferroelectric control of spin-to-charge conversion at room temperature in epitaxial GeTe films. We show that ferroelectric switching by electrical gating is possible in GeTe despite its high carrier density. We reveal a spin-to-charge conversion as effective as in Pt, but whose sign is controlled by the orientation of the ferroelectric polarization. The comparison between theoretical and experimental data suggests that spin Hall effect plays a major role for switchable conversion. These results open a route towards devices combining spin-based logic and memory integrated into a silicon-compatible material.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Current-driven domain wall dynamics in ferrimagnetic Ni-doped Mn4N films : very large domain wall velocities and reversal of motion direction across the magnetic compensation point

Spin-transfer torque (STT) and spin-orbit torque (SOT) are spintronic phenomena allowing magnetization manipulation using electrical currents. Beyond their fundamental interest, they allow developing new classes of magnetic memories and logic devices, in particular based on domain wall (DW) motion. In this work, we report the study of STT driven DW motion in ferrimagnetic manganese nickel nitride (Mn4-xNixN) films, in which a fine adjustment of the Ni content allows setting the magnetic compensation at room temperature. The reduced magnetization, combined with the large spin polarization of conduction electrons, strongly enhances the STT so that domain wall velocities approaching 3000 m/s can be obtained for Ni compositions close to the compensation point. In addition, a reversal of the domain wall motion direction is observed when the magnetic compensation composition is crossed. This striking feature, related to the change of direction of the spin polarization with respect to that of the net magnetization, is clarified by ab initio band structure calculations.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Metal/SrTiO$_3$ two-dimensional electron gases for spin-to-charge conversion

SrTiO$_3$-based two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) can be formed through the deposition of epitaxial oxides like LaAlO$_3$ or of reactive metals such as Al. Such 2DEGs possess a finite Rashba spin-orbit coupling that has recently been harnessed to interconvert charge and spin currents through the direct and inverse Edelstein and spin Hall effects. Here we compare the formation and properties of 2DEGs generated in SrTiO$_3$ by the growth of Al, Ta and Y ultrathin films by magnetron sputtering. By combining in situ and ex situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) we gain insight into the reduction of the SrTiO$_3$ and the appearance of Ti$^{3+}$ states associated with 2DEG formation, its reoxidation by exposure to the air, and the transformation of the metal into its binary oxides. We extract the carrier densities through magnetotransport and compare them with the XPS data. Finally, working with samples covered by an extra layer of NiFe, we perform spin-pumping ferromagnetic resonance experiments and investigate spin-charge conversion as a function of gate voltage. We identify trends in the data across the different sample systems and discuss them as a function of the carrier density and the transparency of the metal oxide tunnel barrier.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Measurement of the Spin Absorption Anisotropy in Lateral Spin Valves

The spin absorption process in a ferromagnetic material depends on the spin orientation relativelyto the magnetization. Using a ferromagnet to absorb the pure spin current created within a lateralspin-valve, we evidence and quantify a sizeable orientation dependence of the spin absorption inCo, CoFe and NiFe. These experiments allow determining the spin-mixing conductance, an elusivebut fundamental parameter of the spin-dependent transport. We show that the obtained valuescannot be understood within a model considering only the Larmor, transverse decoherence and spindiffusion lengths, and rather suggest that the spin-mixing conductance is actually limited by theSharvin conductance.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

A switchable two-dimensional electron gas based on ferroelectric Ca:SrTiO$_3$

Two-dimensional electron gases (2DEGs) can form at the surface of oxides and semiconductors or in carefully designed quantum wells and interfaces. Depending on the shape of the confining potential, 2DEGs may experience a finite electric field, which gives rise to relativistic effects such as the Rashba spin-orbit coupling. Although the amplitude of this electric field can be modulated by an external gate voltage, which in turn tunes the 2DEG carrier density, sheet resistance and other related properties, this modulation is volatile. Here, we report the design of a ''ferroelectric'' 2DEG whose transport properties can be electrostatically switched in a non-volatile way. We generate a 2DEG by depositing a thin Al layer onto a SrTiO$_3$ single crystal in which 1 percent of Sr is substituted by Ca to make it ferroelectric. Signatures of the ferroelectric phase transition at 25 K are visible in the Raman response and in the temperature dependences of the carrier density and sheet resistance that shows a hysteretic dependence on electric field as a consequence of ferroelectricity. We suggest that this behavior may be extended to other oxide 2DEGs, leading to novel types of ferromagnet-free spintronic architectures.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Independence of the inverse spin Hall effect with the magnetic phase in thin NiCu films

Large spin Hall angles have been observed in 3d ferromagnets, but their origin, and especially their link with the ferromagnetic order, remain unclear. Here, we investigate the inverse spin Hall effect of Ni60Cu40 and Ni50Cu50 across their Curie temperature using spin pumping experiments. We evidence that the inverse spin Hall effect in these samples is comparable to that of platinum, and that it is insensitive to the magnetic order. These results points towards a Heisenberg localized model of the transition, and suggest that the large spin Hall effects in 3d ferromagnets can be independent of the magnetic phase.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Negligible thermal contributions to the spin pumping signal in ferromagnetic metal-Platinum bilayers

Spin pumping by ferromagnetic resonance is one of the most common technique to determine spin hall angles, Edelstein lengths or spin diffusion lengths of a large variety of materials. In recent years, rising concerns have appeared regarding the interpretation of these experiments, underlining that the signal could arise purely from thermoelectric effects, rather than from coherent spin pumping. Here, we propose a method to evaluate the presence or absence of thermal effects in spin pumping signals, by combining bolometry and spin pumping by ferromagnetic resonance measurements, and comparing their timescale. Using a cavity to perform the experiments on Pt\Permalloy and La0.7Sr0.3MnO3\Pt samples, we conclude on the absence of any measurable thermoelectric contribution such as the spin Seebeck and anomalous Nernst effects at resonance

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2018

Millimeter-sized magnetic domains in perpendicularly magnetized ferrimagnetic Mn4N thin films grown on SrTiO3

The use of epitaxial layers for domain wall-based spintronic applications is often hampered by the presence of pinning sites. Here, we show that when depositing Mn4N(10 nm) epitaxial films, the replacement of MgO(001) by SrTiO3(001) substrates allows minimizing the misfit, and to obtain an improved crystalline quality, a sharper switching, a full remanence, a high anisotropy and remarkable millimeter-sized magnetic domains, with straight and smooth domain walls. In a context of rising interest for current-induced domain wall motion in rare

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2017

Spin conductance of YIG thin films driven from thermal to subthermal magnons regime by large spin-orbit torque

We report a study on spin conductance in ultra-thin films of Yttrium Iron Garnet (YIG), where spin transport is provided by propagating spin waves, that are generated and detected by direct and inverse spin Hall effects in two Pt wires deposited on top. While at low current the spin conductance is dominated by transport of thermal magnons, at high current, the spin conductance is dominated by low-damping non-equilibrium magnons thermalized near the spectral bottom by magnon-magnon interaction, with consequent a sensitivity to the applied magnetic field and a longer decay length. This picture is supported by microfocus Brillouin Light Scattering spectroscopy.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2016

Non-local opto-electrical spin injection and detection in germanium at room temperature

Non-local carrier injection/detection schemes lie at the very foundation of information manipulation in integrated systems. This paradigm consists in controlling with an external signal the channel where charge carriers flow between a "source" and a well separated "drain". The next generation electronics may operate on the spin of carriers instead of their charge and germanium appears as the best hosting material to develop such a platform for its compatibility with mainstream silicon technology and the long electron spin lifetime at room temperature. Moreover, the energy proximity between the direct and indirect bandgaps allows for optical spin injection and detection within the telecommunication window. In this letter, we demonstrate injection of pure spin currents (\textit{i.e.} with no associated transport of electric charges) in germanium, combined with non-local spin detection blocks at room temperature. Spin injection is performed either electrically through a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) or optically, exploiting the ability of lithographed nanostructures to manipulate the distribution of circularly-polarized light in the semiconductor. Pure spin current detection is achieved using either a MTJ or the inverse spin-Hall effect (ISHE) across a platinum stripe. These results broaden the palette of tools available for the realization of opto-spintronic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗