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Keisuke Masuda

Publications and source records attributed to Keisuke Masuda.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Exchange splitting as a descriptor for giant anomalous Hall and Nernst effects in ferromagnets

The anomalous Hall effect (AHE) and anomalous Nernst effect (ANE), which describe transverse electrical and thermoelectric responses in magnetic materials, respectively, are promising for spintronic and energy-harvesting applications. Here, we employ high-throughput first-principles calculations to investigate 2251 chemically substituted tetragonal $L1_0$ alloys. Among ferromagnets, enhanced responses emerge preferentially in alloys derived from parent compounds with small exchange splitting: no alloy derived from FePt, the archetypal $L1_0$ ferromagnet, reaches the high-response regime, whereas NiPt- and CoIr-derived alloys occupy it in large numbers. Small exchange splitting keeps majority- and minority-spin bands near the Fermi level, giving chemical substitution more opportunity to modify near-Fermi-level band crossings and amplify the Berry curvature. We predict a giant anomalous Hall conductivity of $2809\,\mathrm{S\,cm^{-1}}$ in (Co$_{0.8}$Fe$_{0.2}$)(Ir$_{0.7}$Pt$_{0.3}$) and a giant anomalous Nernst conductivity of $7.72\,\mathrm{A\,m^{-1}\,K^{-1}}$ in (Ni$_{0.8}$Co$_{0.2}$)(Pt$_{0.7}$Ir$_{0.3}$). Our results identify the exchange splitting of the parent compound as a descriptor for chemical tunability toward giant Berry-curvature-driven transport responses.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Effects of Interfacial States and Strain on Tunnel Magnetoresistance in van der Waals Magnetic Tunnel Junctions

All-two-dimensional magnetic tunnel junctions promise atomically sharp interfaces, yet the role of interface-induced states in their spin transport is not fully understood. Here, we theoretically investigate spin-dependent transport in van der Waals magnetic tunnel junctions of the structure Cr$_2$C/$MY_2$/Cr$_2$C ($M$ = Mo, W; $Y$ = S, Se) with barrier thicknesses of 3, 5, 7, and 9 layers. The broad features of the $\mathbf{k}_{\parallel}$-resolved conductances, namely suppression near the $\Gamma$ point and enhancement at six off-$\Gamma$ hot spots, are consistent with the decay of evanescent states in the barrier. However, trilayer WS$_2$, MoSe$_2$, and WSe$_2$ barriers exhibit conductances of the order of $e^2/h$ at $\mathbf{k}_{\parallel}$ points within the hot spots. We attribute these near-unity transmission channels to resonant coupling between the interfacial states at the two electrode--barrier interfaces, as evidenced by their weak but finite residual weight at the barrier center. For thicker barriers, this coupling weakens, which suppresses the residual weight, thereby reducing the tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) ratio of the MoS$_2$ junction while enhancing those of the other junctions. To exploit the interfacial states for spin-selective tunneling, we further examine biaxial tensile strain applied to the trilayer junctions. At 4\% strain, the TMR ratio increases from 176\% to 540\% for MoS$_2$ and from 98\% to 496\% for WS$_2$, whereas MoSe$_2$ and WSe$_2$ exhibit comparatively weaker enhancement. Our results establish interfacial-state engineering via strain and barrier thickness as effective routes for enhancing the TMR effect in all-two-dimensional magnetic tunnel junctions.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Influence of strain on the anomalous Hall and Nernst effects in Fe thin films

The anomalous Hall effect (AHE) and anomalous Nernst effect (ANE) are the transverse transport phenomena in magnetic materials, which reflect the Berry curvature arising from the electronic structure near the Fermi level. Lattice strain provides a direct means to tune these effects by modifying the electronic structure; however, disentangling the strain-induced effect through the Berry curvature modulations in multicomponent materials is challenging due to complexities arising from extrinsic contributions by impurities and disorder, as well as difficulties in simple direct comparison with first-principles calculations. In this study, we focus on Fe, a prototypical single element ferromagnet with a well-established electronic structure, and tune the sign and magnitude of the strain in epitaxial thin films of by varying the substrates and deposition conditions to investigate the strain effect on the AHE and ANE. Scaling law analysis revealed that the intrinsic anomalous Hall conductivity (AHC) exhibits a clear tetragonal distortion (c/a) dependence, in good agreement with theoretical calculations based on Berry curvature modification. In contrast, the anomalous Nernst conductivity (ANC) shows a pronounced deviation from the theoretical values and markedly different c/a dependence. These results demonstrate a crucial difference in the physical origin between the AHC and the ANC in the Fe films; the AHC is predominantly governed by intrinsic mechanisms, whereas the ANC is strongly influenced by the extrinsic contribution.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Theory of tunnel magnetoresistance in magnetic tunnel junctions with hexagonal boron nitride barriers: mechanism and application to ferromagnetic alloy electrodes

Hexagonal boron nitride ($h$-BN), with its strong in-plane bonding and good lattice match to hcp and fcc metals, offers a promising alternative barrier material for magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). Here, we investigate spin-dependent transport in hcp-Co$_{1-x}$Ni$_{x}$$/$$h$-BN$/$hcp-Co$_{1-x}$Ni$_{x}$(0001) MTJs with physisorption-type interfaces using first-principles calculations. We find that a high TMR ratio arises from the resonant tunneling of the down-spin surface states of the hcp-Co$_{1-x}$Ni$_{x}$, having a $\Delta_1$-like symmetry around the $\Gamma$ point. Ni doping tunes the Fermi level and enhances this effect by reducing the overlap between up-spin and down-spin conductance channels in momentum space under the parallel configuration, thereby suppressing antiparallel conductance and increasing the TMR ratio. This mechanism is analogous to Brillouin zone spin filtering and is sensitive to the interfacial distance but not specific to $h$-BN barriers; similar behavior may emerge in MTJs with other two-dimensional insulators or semiconductors. These findings provide insight into surface-state-assisted tunneling mechanisms and offer guidance for the interface engineering of next-generation spintronic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Microscopic correlation between magnetostriction and magnetic damping

Although the relationship between magnetostriction and magnetic damping is often described phenomenologically, their intrinsic connection remains unclear. In this study, we demonstrate that the magnitude of magnetic damping depends on the sign of magnetostriction in ($\mathrm{Fe_{1-x}Co_{x})_{4}N}$ and $\mathrm{Ni_{1-y}Co_{y}}$ alloys across various compositions, consistent with experimental observations. This behavior is attributed to strain-induced changes in exchange splitting, which shift the minority spin density of states near the Fermi level, thereby affecting both magnetostriction and damping through spin-conserving transitions. Additionally, the presence of locally degenerate orbitals plays a crucial role in determining magnetostriction. These findings suggest that magnetization dynamics and magnetostriction can be intrinsically controlled, facilitating the design of magnetic materials for applications such as flexible spintronics.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Theory for Tunnel Magnetoresistance Oscillation

The universal oscillation of the tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) ratio as a function of the insulating barrier thickness in crystalline magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) is a long-standing unsolved problem in condensed matter physics. To explain this, we here introduce a superposition of wave functions with opposite spins and different Fermi momenta, based on the fact that spin-flip scattering near the interface provides a hybridization between majority- and minority-spin states. In a typical Fe/MgO/Fe MTJ, we solve the tunneling problem and show that the TMR ratio oscillates with a period of $\sim3\,$\r{A} by varying the MgO thickness, consistent with previous and present experimental observations.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Perspective on nanoscale magnetic sensors using giant anomalous Hall effect in topological magnetic materials for read head application in magnetic recording

Recent advances in the study of materials with topological electronic band structures have revealed magnetic materials exhibiting giant anomalous Hall effects (AHE). The giant AHE has not only attracted the research interest in its mechanism but also opened up the possibility of practical application in magnetic sensors. In this article, we describe simulation-based investigations of AHE magnetic sensors for the applications to read head sensors (readers) of hard disk drives. With the shrinking of magnetic recording patterns, the reader technology, which currently uses multilayer-based tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) devices, is associated with fundamental challenges, such as insufficient spatial resolution and signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) in sensors with dimensions below 20 nm. The structure of an AHE-based device composed of a single ferromagnetic material is advantageous for magnetic sensors with nanoscale dimensions. We found that AHE readers using topological ferromagnets with giant AHE, such as Co2MnGa, can achieve a higher SNR than current TMR readers. The higher SNR originates from the large output signal of the giant AHE as well as from the reduced thermal magnetic noise, which is the dominant noise in TMR readers. We highlight a major challenge in the development of AHE readers: the reduction in the output signal due to the shunting of the bias current and the leakage of the Hall voltage through the soft magnetic shields surrounding the AHE reader. We propose reader structures that overcome this challenge. Finally, we discuss the scope for future research to realize AHE readers.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Ultra-low-current-density single-layer magnetic Weyl semimetal spin Hall nano-oscillators

Topological quantum materials can exhibit unconventional surface states and anomalous transport properties. Still, their applications in spintronic devices are restricted as they require the growth of high-quality thin films with bulk-like properties. Here, we study 10--30 nm thick epitaxial ferromagnetic Co$_{\rm 2}$MnGa films with high structural order and very high values of the anomalous Hall conductivity, $\sigma_{\rm xy}=1.35\times10^{5}$ $\Omega^{-1} m^{-1}$ and the anomalous Hall angle, $\theta_{\rm H}=15.8\%$, both comparable to bulk values. We observe a dramatic crystalline orientation dependence of the Gilbert damping constant of a factor of two and a giant intrinsic spin Hall conductivity, $\mathit{\sigma_{\rm SHC}}=(6.08\pm 0.02)\times 10^{5}$ ($\hbar/2e$) $\Omega^{-1} m^{-1}$, an order of magnitude higher than literature values of multilayer Co$_{\rm 2}$MnGa stacks [1-3] and single-layer Ni, Co, Fe [4], and Ni$_{\rm 80}$Fe$_{\rm 20}$~[4,5]. As a consequence, spin-orbit-torque driven auto-oscillations of a 30 nm thick magnetic film are observed for the first time, at an ultralow threshold current density of $J_{th}=6.2\times10^{11}$ $Am^{-2}$. Theoretical calculations of the intrinsic spin Hall conductivity, originating from a strong Berry curvature, corroborate the results and yield values comparable to the experiment. Our results open up for the design of spintronic devices based on single layers of magnetic topological quantum materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Microscopic theory of spin Seebeck effect in antiferromagnets

We develop a microscopic theory for the spin Seebeck effect (SSE) in N\'eel and canted phases of antiferromagnetic insulators. We calculate the DC spin current tunneling from the antiferromagnet to an attached metal, incorporating the spin-wave theory and the non-equilibrium Green's function approach. Our result shows a sign change of the spin current at the spin-flop phase transition between N\'eel and canted phases, which is in agreement with a recent experiment for the SSE of $\rm Cr_2O_3$ in a semi-quantitative level. The sign change can be interpreted from the argument based on the density of states of up- and down-spin magnons, which is related to the polarized-neutron scattering spectra. The theory also demonstrates that the spin current in the N\'eel phase is governed by the magnon correlation, while that in the canted phase consists of two parts: Contributions from not only the magnon dynamics but also the static transverse magnetization. This result leads to a prediction that at sufficiently low temperatures, the spin current non-monotonically changes as a function of magnetic field in the canted phase. Towards a more unified understanding of the SSE in antiferromagnets, we further discuss some missing links of theories of SSE: Interface properties, effects of the transverse spin moment in the canted phase, the spin-orbit coupling in the metal, etc. Finally, we compare the SSE of antiferromagnets with those of different magnetic phases such as ferromagnets, ferrimagnets, an one-dimensional spin liquid, a spin-nematic liquid, and a spin-Peierls (dimerized) phase.

cond-mat.str-el

Chemical-substitution-driven giant anomalous Hall and Nernst effects in magnetic cubic Heusler compounds

Chemical substitution efficiently optimizes the physical properties of Heusler compounds, especially their anomalous transport properties, including anomalous Hall conductivity (AHC) and anomalous Nernst conductivity (ANC). This study systematically investigates the effect of chemical substitution on AHC and ANC in 1493 magnetic cubic Heusler compounds using high-throughput first-principles calculations. Notable trends emerge in Co- and Rh-based compounds, where chemical substitution effectively enhances the AHC and ANC. Intriguingly, certain chemically substituted candidates exhibit outstanding enhancement in AHCs and ANCs, such as (Co$_{0.8}$Ni$_{0.2}$)$_2$FeSn with considerable AHC and ANC values of $-2567.78$ S cm$^{-1}$ and $8.27$ A m$^{-1}$K$^{-1}$, respectively, and (Rh$_{0.8}$Ru$_{0.2}$)$_2$MnIn with an AHC of $1950.49$ S cm$^{-1}$. In particular, an extraordinary ANC of $8.57$ A m$^{-1}$K$^{-1}$ is identified exclusively in Rh$_2$Co$_{0.7}$Fe$_{0.3}$In, nearly double the maximum value of $4.36$ A m$^{-1}$K$^{-1}$ observed in the stoichiometric Rh$_2$CoIn. A comprehensive band structure analysis underscores that the notable enhancement in ANC arises from the creation and modification of the energy-dependent nodal lines through chemical substitution. This mechanism generates a robust Berry curvature, resulting in significant ANCs. These findings emphasize the pivotal role of chemical substitution in engineering high-performance materials, thereby expanding the horizons of transport property optimization within Heusler compounds.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Band-folding-driven high tunnel magnetoresistance ratios in (111)-oriented junctions with SrTiO$_3$ barriers

We theoretically study the tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) effect in (111)-oriented magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with SrTiO$_{3}$ barriers, Co/SrTiO$_{3}$/Co(111) and Ni/SrTiO$_{3}$/Ni(111). Our analysis combining the first-principles calculation and the Landauer formula shows that the Co-based MTJ has a high TMR ratio over 500%, while the Ni-based MTJ has a smaller value (290%). Since the in-plane lattice periodicity of SrTiO$_{3}$ is about twice that of the primitive cell of fcc Co (Ni), the original bands of Co (Ni) are folded in the $k_x$-$k_y$ plane corresponding to the $ab$ plane of the MTJ supercell. We find that this band folding gives a half-metallic band structure in the $\Lambda_1$ state of Co (Ni) and the coherent tunneling of such a half-metallic $\Lambda_1$ state yields a high TMR ratio. We also reveal that the difference in the TMR ratio between the Co- and Ni-based MTJs can be understood by different $s$-orbital weights in the $\Lambda_1$ band at the Fermi level.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Crucial role of interfacial $s$-$d$ exchange interaction in the temperature dependence of tunnel magnetoresistance

The tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) is one of the most important spintronic phenomena but its reduction at finite temperature is a severe drawback for applications. Here, we reveal a crucial determinant of the drawback, that is, the $s$-$d$ exchange interaction between conduction $s$ and localized $d$ electrons at interfacial ferromagnetic layers. By calculating the temperature dependence of the TMR ratio in Fe/MgO/Fe(001), we show that the obtained TMR ratio significantly decreases with increasing temperature owing to the spin-flip scattering in the $\Delta_1$ state induced by the $s$-$d$ exchange interaction. The material dependence of the coupling constant $J_{sd}$ is also discussed on the basis of a nonempirical method.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

First-principles calculations on the spin anomalous Hall effect of ferromagnetic alloys

The spin anomalous Hall effect (SAHE) in ferromagnetic metals, which can generate spin-orbit torque to rotate the magnetization of another ferromagnetic layer through a non-magnetic spacer in magnetic junctions, has attracted much attention. We theoretically investigated the spin anomalous Hall conductivity (SAHC) of the L1$_0$-type alloys $X$Pt($X$=Fe,Co,Ni) on the basis of first-principles density functional theory and linear response theory. We found that the SAHC of FePt is much smaller than the anomalous Hall conductivity (AHC), leading to very small polarization for the anomalous Hall effect $\zeta$=SAHC/AHC of around 0.1. On the other hand, the SAHC increases with increasing number of valence electrons($N_{\rm v}$), and CoPt and NiPt show relatively large values of $|\zeta|$, greater than 1. The negative contribution of the spin-down-down component of AHC is the origin of the large SAHC and $\zeta$ in CoPt and NiPt, which is due to the anti-bonding states of Pt around the Fermi level in the minority-spin states.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Quantum-well tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance above room temperature

Quantum-well (QW) devices have been extensively investigated in semiconductor structures. More recently, spin-polarized QWs were integrated into magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). In this work, we demonstrate the spin-based control of the quantized states in iron $3d$-band QWs, as observed in experiments and theoretical calculations. We find that the magnetization rotation in the Fe QWs significantly shifts the QW quantization levels, which modulate the resonant-tunneling current in MTJs, resulting in a tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance (TAMR) effect of QWs. This QW-TAMR effect is sizable compared to other types of TAMR effect, and it is present above the room-temperature. In a QW MTJ of Cr/Fe/MgAl$_2$O$_4$/top electrode, where the QW is formed by a mismatch between Cr and Fe in the $d$ band with $\Delta_1$ symmetry, a QW-TAMR ratio of up to 5.4 % was observed at 5 K, which persisted to 1.2 % even at 380K. The magnetic control of QW transport can open new applications for spin-coupled optoelectronic devices, ultra-thin sensors, and memories.

cond-mat.mes-hall

Interfacial giant tunnel magnetoresistance and bulk-induced large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in (111)-oriented junctions with fcc ferromagnetic alloys: A first-principles study

We study the tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) effect and magnetocrystalline anisotropy in a series of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with $L1_1$-ordered fcc ferromagnetic alloys and MgO barrier along the [111] direction. Considering the (111)-oriented MTJs with different $L1_1$ alloys, we calculate their TMR ratios and magnetocrystalline anisotropies on the basis of the first-principles calculations. The analysis shows that the MTJs with Co-based alloys (CoNi, CoPt, and CoPd) have high TMR ratios over 2000$\%$. These MTJs have energetically favored Co-O interfaces where interfacial antibonding between Co $d$ and O $p$ states is formed around the Fermi level. We find that the resonant tunneling of the antibonding states, called the interface resonant tunneling, is the origin of the obtained high TMR ratios. Our calculation of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy shows that many $L1_1$ alloys have large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA). In particular, CoPt has the largest value of anisotropy energy $K_{\rm u} \approx 10\,{\rm MJ/m^3}$. We further conduct a perturbation analysis of the PMA with respect to the spin-orbit interaction and reveal that the large PMA in CoPt and CoNi mainly originates from spin-conserving perturbation processes around the Fermi level.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Origin of negative anomalous Nernst thermopower in Mn-Ga ordered alloys

The negative sign of the anomalous Nernst thermopower ($S_\text{ANE}$) observed in Mn-Ga ordered alloys is an attractive property for thermoelectric applications exploiting the anomalous Nernst effect (ANE); however, its origin has not been clarified. In this study, to gain insight into the negative $S_\text{ANE}$, we prepared epitaxial thin films of Mn$_{x}$Ga$_{100-x}$ with $x$ ranging from 56.2 to 71.7, and systematically investigated the structural, magnetic, and transport properties including the anomalous Hall effect (AHE) and the ANE. The measured $S_\text{ANE}$ is negative for all samples and shows close to one order of magnitude difference among different compositions. Together with the measured transport properties, we were able to separate the two different contributions of the ANE, i.e., one originating from the transverse thermoelectric coefficient ($\alpha_{xy}$), and the other one originating from the AHE acting on the longitudinal carrier flow induced by the Seebeck effect. Both contributions are found to be negative for all samples, while the experimentally obtained negative $\alpha_{xy}$ exhibits a monotonic increase towards zero with increasing $x$, which is consistent with the tendency indicated by first-principles calculations. Our results show that the large difference in the negative $S_\text{ANE}$ is mostly attributed to $\alpha_{xy}$, and thus shed light on further enhancement of the ANE in Mn-based ordered alloys.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Spin-polarized Weyl cones and gigantic anomalous Nernst effect in ferromagnetic Heusler films

Weyl semimetals are characterized by the presence of massless band dispersion in momentum space. When a Weyl semimetal meets magnetism, large anomalous transport properties emerge as a consequence of its topological nature. Here, using $in-situ$ spin- and angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy combined with $ab\ initio$ calculations, we visualize the spin-polarized Weyl cone and flat-band surface states of ferromagnetic Co$_2$MnGa films with full remanent magnetization. We demonstrate that the anomalous Hall and Nernst conductivities systematically grow when the magnetization-induced massive Weyl cone at a Lifshitz quantum critical point approaches the Fermi energy, until a high anomalous Nernst thermopower of $\sim 6.2$ $\rm μV K^{-1}$ is realized at room temperature. Given this topological quantum state and full remanent magnetization, Co$_2$MnGa films are promising for realizing high efficiency heat flux and magnetic field sensing devices operable at room temperature and zero-field.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci

Anomalous Hall and Nernst effects in ferrimagnetic Mn$_4$N films: possible interpretation and prospect for enhancement

Ferrimagnetic Mn$_4$N is a promising material for heat flux sensors based on the anomalous Nernst effect (ANE) because of its sizable uniaxial magnetic anisotropy ($K_{\rm u}$) and low saturation magnetization ($M_{\rm s}$). We experimentally and theoretically investigated the ANE and anomalous Hall effect in sputter-deposited Mn$_4$N films. It was revealed that the observed negative anomalous Hall conductivity ($\sigma_{xy}$) could be explained by two different coexisting magnetic structures, that is, a dominant magnetic structure with high $K_{\rm u}$ contaminated by another structure with negligible $K_{\rm u}$ owing to an imperfect degree of order of nitrogen. The observed transverse thermoelectric power ($S_{\rm ANE}$) of $+0.5\, \mu{\rm V/K}$ at $300\, {\rm K}$ gave a transverse thermoelectric coefficient ($\alpha_{xy}$) of $+0.34\, {\rm A/(m \cdot K)}$, which was smaller than the value predicted from first-principles calculation. The interpretation for $\alpha_{xy}$ based on the first-principles calculations led us to conclude that the realization of single magnetic structure with high $K_{\rm u}$ and optimal adjustment of the Fermi level are promising approaches to enhance $S_{\rm ANE}$ in Mn$_4$N through the sign reversal of $\sigma_{xy}$ and the enlargement of $\alpha_{xy}$ up to a theoretical value of $1.77\, {\rm A/(m \cdot K)}$.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci