arXiv subjects

Jian-Min Zuo

Publications and source records attributed to Jian-Min Zuo.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Strong coupling between propagating spin wave and microwave photons in a superconducting resonator

We demonstrate strong coupling between propagating spin wave modes and microwave photons in superconducting resonator-magnetic thin film hybrid circuits. By fabricating the resonator directly on yttrium iron garnet thin films grown on rare-earth-free Y$_3$Sc$_2$Ga$_3$O$_{12}$ substrates, we achieve strong coupling of both Damon-Eshbach and backward-volume spin wave modes to the resonator, with coupling strengths exceeding both the magnon and photon damping rates. Furthermore, we observe nonreciprocal spin wave radiation of the hybrid magnonic mode in the Damon-Eshbach configuration, highlighting the potential for incorporating intrinsic spin-wave nonreciprocity into hybrid magnonic systems. These results open new avenues for integrating spin-wave magnonics with cavity magnonics, and for harnessing spin waves for potential applications in quantum information science.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Mapping vacancy and bonding electron distributions around aluminium nanovoids

All materials have defects and many contain nanostructures, both of which disrupt chemical bonding - the basis of materials properties. No experimental measurements of bonding electron distributions associated with defects and nanostructures have ever been possible. We present a method enabling such measurements and interrogate nanovoids surrounded by vacancies - the most fundamental of nanostructures and defects - in aluminium. We measure the volume of a vacancy with 3% uncertainty and map vacancy concentrations surrounding nanovoids with nanometre resolution in three dimensions where previously only two-dimensional mapping was possible. We discover that radiation-damaged voids can "heal". Our bonding measurements are depth-resolved, vacancy-sensitive, and agree with density functional theory. This work opens bonding electron density measurements to inhomogeneous nanostructured multi-phased materials so that the electronic origins of phenomena such as strengthening, weakening, interface functionality, solute diffusion and phase transformations within them may be revealed.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Uniaxial spin texture in a superconducting electron gas revealed by exchange interactions

Two-dimensional superconductors with spin-textured Fermi surfaces can be a platform for realizing unconventional pairing states and are of substantial interest in the context of quantum information science, and superconducting spintronics/orbitronics. We observed an unusual in-plane uniaxial anisotropy in the superconducting 2D electron gas (2DEG) formed at EuOx/KTaO3 (110) interfaces, where the EuOx is magnetic. This anisotropy is not evident in AlOx/KTaO3 (110) where the overlayer is non-magnetic. Our results are consistent with a highly anisotropic 'half-Rashba' spin-textured Fermi surface in 2DEGs formed at the KTaO3 (110) interface that is hidden from external magnetic fields due to a near cancellation between orbital and spin moments but revealed by exchange interactions of the electrons in the 2DEG with Eu moments near the EuOx/KTaO3 (110) interface. The interactions between the uniaxial spin texture and the magnetic overlayer offer new ways to explore the interplay between magnetism and 2D superconductivity.

cond-mat.supr-con↗

arXiv2025

Size-Dependent Lattice Pseudosymmetry for Frustrated Decahedral Nanoparticles

Geometric frustration is a widespread phenomenon in physics, materials science, and biology, occurring when the geometry of a system prevents local interactions from being all accommodated. The resulting manifold of nearly degenerate configurations can lead to complex collective behaviors and emergent pseudosymmetry in diverse systems such as frustrated magnets, mechanical metamaterials, and protein assemblies. In synthetic multi-twinned nanomaterials, similar pseudosymmetric features have also been observed and manifest as intrinsic lattice strain. Despite extensive interest in the stability of these nanostructures, a fundamental understanding remains limited due to the lack of detailed structural characterization across varying sizes and geometries. In this work, we apply four-dimensional scanning transmission electron microscopy strain mapping over a total of 23 decahedral nanoparticles with edge lengths, d, between 20 and 55 nm. From maps of full 2D strain tensor at nanometer spatial resolution, we reveal the prevalence of heterogeneity in different modes of lattice distortions, which homogenizes and restores symmetry with increasing size. Knowing the particle crystallography, we reveal distinctive spatial patterns of local lattice phase transformation between face-centered cubic and body-centered tetragonal symmetries, with a contrast between particles below and above d of 35 nm. The results suggest a cross-over size of the internal structure occurs, as particles shape transition from modified-Wulff shape favored at nanoscale to faceted, pentagonal bipyramidal shape. Ultimately, our 4D-STEM mapping provides new insight to long-standing mysteries of this historic system and can be widely applicable to study nanocrystalline solids and material phase transformation that are important in catalysis, metallurgy, electronic devices, and energy storage materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Magnetostriction and Temperature Dependent Gilbert Damping in Boron Doped Fe$_{80}$Ga$_{20}$ Thin Films

Magnetic thin films with strong magnetoelastic coupling and low Gilbert damping are key materials for many magnetoelectric devices. Here, we investigated the effects of boron doping concentration on magnetostriction and temperature dependent Gilbert damping in magnetron sputtered (Fe$_{80}$Ga$_{20}$)$_{1-x}$B$_{x}$ films. A crystalline to amorphous structural transition was observed for a boron content near 8% and coincided with a decrease in coercivity from 76 Oe to 3 Oe. A 10% doping concentration is optimal for achieving both large magnetostriction of 48.8 ppm and low Gilbert damping of $6 \times 10^{-3}$. The temperature dependence of the damping shows an increase at low temperatures with a peak around 40 K and we associate the relative increase $Δα/α_{RT}$ with magnetoelastic contributions to the damping, which has a maximum of 55.7% at 8% boron. An increase in the inhomogeneous linewidth broadening was observed in the structural transition regime at about 8% boron concentration. This study suggests that incorporation of glass forming elements, in this case boron, into Fe$_{80}$Ga$_{20}$ is a practical pathway for simultaneously achieving enhanced magnetoelastic coupling and reduced Gilbert damping.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Synthesis of layered gold tellurides AuSbTe and Au$_2$Te$_3$ and their semiconducting and metallic behavior

Previous studies on natural samples of pampaloite (AuSbTe) revealed the crystal structure of a potentially cleavable and/or exfoliable material, while studies on natural and synthetic montbrayite (Sb-containing Au$_2$Te$_3$) claimed various chemical compositions for this low symmetry compound. Few investigations of synthetic samples have been reported for both materials, leaving much of their chemical, thermal and electronic characteristics unknown. Here, we investigate the stability, electronic properties and synthesis of the gold antimony tellurides AuSbTe and Au$_{1.9}$Sb$_{0.46}$Te$_{2.64}$ (montbrayite). Differential thermal analysis and $\textit{in situ}$ powder x-ray diffraction revealed that AuSbTe is incongruently melting, while Au$_{1.9}$Sb$_{0.46}$Te$_{2.64}$ is congruently melting. Calculations of the band structures and four-point resistivity measurements showed that AuSbTe is a semiconductor and Au$_{1.9}$Sb$_{0.46}$Te$_{2.64}$ a metal. Various synthesis attempts confirmed the limited stable chemical composition of Au$_{1.9}$Sb$_{0.46}$Te$_{2.64}$, identified successful methods to synthesize both compounds, and highlighted the challenges associated with single crystal synthesis of AuSbTe.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Deterministic Creation of Identical Monochromatic Quantum Emitters in Hexagonal Boron Nitride

Deterministic creation of quantum emitters with high single-photon-purity and excellent indistinguishability is essential for practical applications in quantum information science. Many successful attempts have been carried out in hexagonal boron nitride showing its capability of hosting room temperature quantum emitters. However, most of the existing methods produce emitters with heterogeneous optical properties and unclear creation mechanisms. Here, the authors report a deterministic creation of identical room temperature quantum emitters using masked-carbon-ion implantation on freestanding hBN flakes. Quantum emitters fabricated by our approach showed thermally limited monochromaticity with an emission center wavelength distribution of 590.7 +- 2.7 nm, a narrow full width half maximum of 7.1 +- 1.7 nm, excellent brightness (1MHz emission rate), and extraordinary stability. Our method provides a reliable platform for characterization and fabrication research on hBN based quantum emitters, helping to reveal the origins of the single-photon-emission behavior in hBN and favoring practical applications, especially the industrial-scale production of quantum technology.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Unraveling the origin of antiferromagnetic coupling at YIG/permalloy interface

We investigate the structural and electronic origin of antiferromagnetic (AFM) coupling in the Yttrium iron garnet (YIG) and permalloy (Py) bilayer system at the atomic level. Ferromagnetic Resonance (FMR) reveal unique hybrid modes in samples prepared with surface ion milling, indicative of antiferromagnetic exchange coupling at the YIG/Py interface. Using atomic resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), we found that AFM coupling appears at the YIG/Py interface of the tetrahedral YIG surface formed with ion milling. The STEM measurements suggest that the interfacial AFM coupling is predominantly driven by an oxygen-mediated super-exchange coupling mechanism, which is confirmed by the density functional theory (DFT) calculations to be energetically favorable. Thus, the combined experimental and theoretical results reveal the critical role of interfacial atomic structure in determining the type magnetic coupling in a YIG/ferromagnet heterostructure, and prove that the interfacial structure can be experimentally tuned by surface ion-milling.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Unconventional Spin-Orbit Torques from Sputtered MoTe2 Films

Materials with strong spin-orbit coupling and low crystalline symmetry are promising for generating large unconventional spin-orbit torques (SOTs), such as in-plane field-like (FL) torques and out-of-plane damping-like (DL) torques, which can effectively manipulate and deterministically switch an out-of-plane magnetization without the need for additional external in-plane magnetic fields. Here, we report SOTs generated by magnetron-sputtered 1T' MoTe2/Permalloy (Py; Ni80Fe20)/MgO heterostructures using both spin-torque ferromagnetic resonance (ST-FMR) and second harmonic Hall measurements. We observed unconventional FL and DL torques in our samples due to spins polarized normal to the interface of MoTe2 and Py layers, and studied the influence of crystallographic order and MoTe2 layer thickness on the SOTs. By comparing the Raman spectra of 1T' MoTe2 samples prepared in different ways, we found a tensile strain in sputtered MoTe2 films, which might further enhance the generation of unconventional torques by reducing the symmetry of 1T' MoTe2.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Angle-Resolved Magneto-Chiral Anisotropy in a Non-Centrosymmetric Atomic Layer Superlattice

Chirality in solid-state materials has sparked significant interest due to potential applications of topologically-protected chiral states in next-generation information technology. The electrical magneto-chiral effect (eMChE), arising from relativistic spin-orbit interactions, shows great promise for developing chiral materials and devices for electronic integration. Here we demonstrate an angle-resolved eMChE in an A-B-C-C type atomic-layer superlattice lacking time and space inversion symmetry. We observe non-superimposable enantiomers of left-handed and right-handed tilted uniaxial magnetic anisotropy as the sample rotates under static fields, with the tilting angle reaching a striking 45 degree. Magnetic force microscopy and atomistic simulations correlate the tilt to the emergence and evolution of chiral spin textures. The Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction lock effect in competition with Zeeman effect is demonstrated to be responsible for the angle-resolved eMChE. Our findings open up a new horizon for engineering angle-resolved magneto-chiral anisotropy, shedding light on the development of novel angle-resolved sensing or writing techniques in chiral spintronics.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Framework of compressive sensing and data compression for 4D-STEM

Four-dimensional Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy (4D-STEM) is a powerful technique for high-resolution and high-precision materials characterization at multiple length scales, including the characterization of beam-sensitive materials. However, the field of view of 4D-STEM is relatively small, which in absence of live processing is limited by the data size required for storage. Furthermore, the rectilinear scan approach currently employed in 4D-STEM places a resolution- and signal-dependent dose limit for the study of beam sensitive materials. Improving 4D-STEM data and dose efficiency, by keeping the data size manageable while limiting the amount of electron dose, is thus critical for broader applications. Here we develop a general method for reconstructing 4D-STEM data with subsampling in both real and reciprocal spaces at high fidelity. The approach is first tested on the subsampled datasets created from a full 4D-STEM dataset, and then demonstrated experimentally using random scan in real-space. The same reconstruction algorithm can also be used for compression of 4D-STEM datasets, leading to a large reduction (100 times or more) in data size, while retaining the fine features of 4D-STEM imaging, for crystalline samples.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2023

Tunable Magnon-Photon Coupling by Magnon Band Gap in a Layered Hybrid Perovskite Antiferromagnet

Tunability of coherent coupling between fundamental excitations is an important prerequisite for expanding their functionality in hybrid quantum systems. In hybrid magnonics, the dipolar interaction between magnon and photon usually persists and cannot be switched off. Here, we demonstrate this capability by coupling a superconducting resonator to a layered hybrid perovskite antiferromagnet, which exhibits a magnon band gap due to its intrinsic Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction. The pronounced temperature sensitivity of the magnon band gap location allows us to set the photon mode within the gap and to disable magnon-photon hybridization. When the resonator mode falls into the magnon band gap, the resonator damping rate increases due to the nonzero coupling to the detuned magnon mode. This phenomena can be used to quantify the magnon band gap using an analytical model. Our work brings new opportunities in controlling coherent information processing with quantum properties in complex magnetic materials.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Integrating Magnons for Quantum Information

Magnons, the quanta of collective spin excitations in magnetically ordered materials, have distinct properties that make them uniquely appealing for quantum information applications. They can have ultra-small wavelengths down to the nanometer scale even at microwave frequencies. They can provide coupling to a diverse set of other quantum excitations, and their inherently gyrotropic dynamics forms the basis for pronounced non-reciprocities. In this article we discuss what the current research challenges are for integrating magnetic materials into quantum information systems and provide a perspective on how to address them.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Angstrom-Scale Imaging of Magnetization in Antiferromagnetic Fe$_2$As via 4D-STEM

We demonstrate a combination of computational tools and experimental 4D-STEM methods to image the local magnetic moment in antiferromagnetic Fe$_2$As with 6 angstrom spatial resolution. Our techniques utilize magnetic diffraction peaks, common in antiferromagnetic materials, to create imaging modes that directly visualize the magnetic lattice. Using this approach, we show that center-of-mass analysis can determine the local magnetization component in the plane perpendicular to the path of the electron beam. Moreover, we develop Magnstem, a quantum mechanical electron scattering simulation code, to model electron scattering of an angstrom-scale probe from magnetic materials. Using these tools, we identify optimal experimental conditions for separating weak magnetic signals from the much stronger interactions of an angstrom-scale probe with electrostatic potentials. Our techniques should be useful for characterizing the local magnetic order in systems such in thin films, interfaces, and domain boundaries of antiferromagnetic materials, which are difficult to probe with existing methods.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Structural and Magnetic Properties of Pt/Co/Mn-Based Multilayers

Magnetic multilayers are a rich class of materials systems with numerous highly tunable physical parameters that determine both their magnetic and electronic properties. Here we present a comprehensive experimental study of a novel system, Pt/Co/Mn, which extends the group of Pt/Co/X ($\mathrm{X}=$ metal) multilayers that have been investigated thus far. We demonstrate that an increasing Co layer thickness changes the magnetic anisotropy from out-of-plane to in-plane, whereas the deposition of thicker Mn layers leads to a decrease in the saturation magnetization. Temperature-dependent magnetometry measurements reinforce the hypothesis of antiferromagnetic coupling at the Co/Mn interfaces being responsible for the observed Mn thickness dependence of the magnetization reversal. Moreover, magneto-optical imaging experiments indicate systematic changes in magnetic domain patterns as a function of the Co and Mn layer thickness, suggesting the existence of bubble-like domains -- potentially even magnetic skyrmions -- in the case of sufficiently thick Mn layers, which are expected to contribute to a sizeable Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in the multilayer stacks. We identify Pt/Co/Mn as a highly complex multilayer system with strong potential for further fundamental studies and possible applications.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Data-Driven Electron Microscopy: Electron Diffraction Imaging of Materials Structural Properties

Transmission electron diffraction is a powerful and versatile structural probe for the characterization of a broad range of materials, from nanocrystalline thin films to single crystals. With recent developments in fast electron detectors and efficient computer algorithms, it now becomes possible to collect unprecedently large datasets of diffraction patterns (DPs) and process DPs to extract crystallographic information to form images or tomograms based on crystal structural properties, giving rise to data-driven electron microscopy. Critical to this kind of imaging is the type of crystallographic information being collected, which can be achieved with a judicious choice of electron diffraction techniques, and the efficiency and accuracy of DP processing, which requires the development of new algorithms. Here, we review recent progress made in data collection, new algorithms, and automated electron DP analysis. These progresses will be highlighted using application examples in materials research. Future opportunities based on smart sampling and machine learning are also discussed.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Training artificial neural networks for precision orientation and strain mapping using 4D electron diffraction datasets

Techniques for training artificial neural networks (ANNs) and convolutional neural networks (CNNs) using simulated dynamical electron diffraction patterns are described. The premise is based on the following facts. First, given a suitable crystal structure model and scattering potential, electron diffraction patterns can be simulated accurately using dynamical diffraction theory. Secondly, using simulated diffraction patterns as input, ANNs can be trained for the determination of crystal structural properties, such as crystal orientation and local strain. Further, by applying the trained ANNs to four-dimensional diffraction datasets (4D-DD) collected using the scanning electron nanodiffraction (SEND) or 4D scanning transmission electron microscopy (4D-STEM) techniques, the crystal structural properties can be mapped at high spatial resolution. Here, we demonstrate the ANN-enabled possibilities for the analysis of crystal orientation and strain at high precision and benchmark the performance of ANNs and CNNs by comparing with previous methods. A factor of thirty improvement in angular resolution at 0.009 degrees (0.16 mrad) for orientation mapping, sensitivity at 0.04% or less for strain mapping, and improvements in computational performance are demonstrated.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Cepstral Scanning Transmission Electron Microscopy Imaging of Severe Lattice Distortions

The development of four-dimensional (4D) scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) using fast detectors has opened-up new avenues for addressing some of long-standing challenges in electron imaging. One of these challenges is how to image severely distorted crystal lattices, such as at a dislocation core. Here we introduce a new 4D-STEM technique, called Cepstral STEM, for imaging disordered crystals using electron diffuse scattering. Local fluctuations of diffuse scattering are captured by scanning electron nanodiffraction (SEND) using a coherent probe. The harmonic signals in electron diffuse scattering are detected through Cepstral analysis and used for imaging. By integrating Cepstral analysis with 4D-STEM, we demonstrate that information about the distortive part of electron scattering potential can be separated and imaged at nm spatial resolution. We apply our technique to the analysis of a dislocation core in SiGe and lattice distortions in high entropy alloy.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗