arXiv subjects

Pushpendra Gupta

Publications and source records attributed to Pushpendra Gupta.

15 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Interface-resolved structural properties of epitaxial Y$_3$Fe$_5$O$_{12}$/ Gd$_3$Fe$_5$O$_{12}$ bilayers grown on GGG(111) by pulsed laser deposition

Epitaxial Y$_3$Fe$_5$O$_{12}$ (YIG) and Gd$_3$Fe$_5$O$_{12}$ (GdIG) thin films, along with their bilayer heterostructures, were grown on Gd$_3$Ga$_5$O$_{12}$(GGG)(111) substrates using pulsed laser deposition. Structural properties were investigated using X-ray diffraction, reciprocal space mapping, and cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy. The results confirm high crystalline quality and coherent epitaxial growth, with RSM revealing a coexistence of strained and partially relaxed regions governed by layer sequence. TEM analysis shows sharp interfaces, columnar microstructures, and antiphase boundaries that facilitate strain relaxation. A comparative study indicates that the GGG/YIG/GdIG stacking sequence exhibits improved structural quality with reduced defect density, attributed to the superior epitaxial growth of YIG on the substrate. These findings highlight the critical role of growth sequence in controlling strain and interfacial structure in garnet heterostructures.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Electric field controlled spin transport in a topological insulator interfaced with a ferroelectric antiferromagnet

Topological insulators have been explored extensively for spin-charge interconversion via magnetic interfaces, yet the true response of their spin-charge conversion, particularly in the absence of an external magnetic field, remains to be studied. Here, we report electric-field control of spin-charge conversion in the topological insulator Bi$_2$Te$_3$ with the antiferromagnetic multiferroic BiFeO$_3$, employing a nonlocal spin transport device. A systematic thickness dependence of the spin transport across the interface between Bi$_2$Te$_3$ and BiFeO$_3$ reveals a signature of topological surface-state-dominated spin transport in the bilayer system. The spin-charge conversion remains robust for thicknesses above 10 nm but falls rapidly with reducing thickness and vanishes at 5 nm. This is consistent with the hybridization-induced emergence of a trivial insulating phase, which is supported by the coherency factor estimated from the magnetoconductance of Bi$_2$Te$_3$. These results establish that spin-momentum-locked surface states dominate interfacial spin transport in the decoupled regime. Beyond presenting efficient spin-charge interconversion at an entirely insulating magnetic interface, this work also highlights sputter-deposited Bi$_2$Te$_3$ as a high-quality and scalable platform for integrating quantum materials into devices. The nonlocal spin transport approach presented here provides a simple and direct evidence of spin-charge conversion and opens an efficient and practical pathway toward designing energy-efficient spin-based devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2026

Emergence of millimeter-wave resonances in self-assembled ferroelectric metamaterials

Resonators are a key component in modern communications and computing. As demand and technological advances push component requirements into the terahertz regime, there is significant research devoted to the search for resonances at these frequencies. While uniform solid-state materials usually do not intrinsically feature resonances in this frequency range, self-assembled periodic arrays of ferroelectric nanodomains may provide an engineering route to design millimeter-wave properties. Here, we utilize prototypical dielectric-ferroelectric SrTiO3/PbTiO3 superlattices to robustly design periodic ferroelectric nano-scale domains. Phase field simulations predict an emergent domain breathing mode in complex polar textures and state-of-the-art millimeter-wave characterization shows evidence for such emergent resonances up to hundreds of GHz. Complex polar textures in these superlattices lead to emergent piezoelectric properties that also result in millimeter-wave resonances, which are predicted by second principles methods and confirmed by direct measurement. The principles investigated in this work suggest a new modality for ferroelectrics in the design of millimeter-wave electronics.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Spatially modulated morphotropic phase boundaries in a compressively strained multiferroic thin film

The coexisting rhombohedral-like (R', MA) and tetragonal-like (T', MC) monoclinic phases in compressively strained bismuth ferrite thin films exhibit exceptional piezoelectric and magnetic properties. While previous studies have largely focused on probing the morphotropic phase boundaries (MPBs) comprising ordered R'/T' twins, their self-organizing structures remain not fully explored. Here, we observed two types of interphase boundaries in a 60 nm-thick BiFeO3 film epitaxially grown on a LaAlO3 substrate by employing multi-modal diffraction-based electron microscopy. First, the flat MPBs form lines extending >1 mm, and repeat almost every ~20 um. Additionally, we uncover a new type of phase boundary with zig-zag regions of alternating R'/R' and T'/T' twin domains. Cross-sectional multislice electron ptychography confirms the atomic-scale polarization rotation across the MPB, with out-of-plane strain varying >15%. Plan-view electron backscatter diffraction reveals the lattice disclination of ~1.5-degrees across the zig-zag interphase boundaries, while having >2.5 degrees within the MPB. Phase-field modeling suggests that the formation of zig-zag phase boundaries arises from balancing between Landau and elastic energies. We speculate that such well-ordered interphase boundaries are associated with mesoscale in-plane strain modulations, thus providing a way to engineer and harness their properties for potential device applications.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Mechanical Control of Polar Order

BiFeO3 is a model multiferroic in which the ferroelectric polarization is coupled to ferroelastic lattice distortions, yet deterministic control of its domain structure remains limited by high switching fields and competing polarization variants. Here, we identify a mechanically assisted polarization switching pathway in epitaxial BiFeO3 thin films that fundamentally alters the switching energetics. Using just out-of-plane electric fields, polarization reversal requires voltages of approximately 4 V and stabilizes coexisting polarization states. In contrast, when mechanical pressure is applied concurrently, the coercive voltage can be significantly reduced (even to 0V), resulting in spontaneous switching. Piezoresponse force microscopy measurements reveal that applied mechanical pressure suppresses ferroelastic domain competition, indicating a decrease in the required electrical energy barrier associated with polarization rotation and domain wall motion. These results demonstrate that stress acts as an active thermodynamic control parameter, enabling access to switching pathways that are inaccessible under only an electric field. By directly coupling lattice distortions to polarization reversal, mechanically assisted switching provides a general framework for controlling coupled order parameters in multiferroic oxides, which can be directly applied in the device-level architecture, where a small mechanical pressure can help in achieving lower switching energy of ferroelectric polarization. This work advances the fundamental understanding of electromechanical coupling in complex ferroics and establishes mechanical energy as a powerful tool for probing and manipulating ferroelastic ferroelectric interactions.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Anisotropic magnon transport in an antiferromagnetic trilayer heterostructure: is BiFeO$_3$ an altermagnet?

Magnons provide a route to ultra-fast transport and non-destructive readout of spin-based information transfer. Here, we report magnon transport and its emergent anisotropic nature in BiFeO$_3$ layers confined between ultrathin layers of the antiferromagnet LaFeO$_3$. Due to the confined state, BiFeO$_3$ serves as an efficient magnon transmission channel as well as a magnetoelectric knob by which to control the stack by means of an electric field. We discuss the mechanism of the anisotropic spin transport based on the interaction between the antiferromagnetic order and the electric field. This allows us to manipulate and amplify the spin transport in such a confined geometry. Furthermore, lower crystal symmetric and suppression of the spin cycloid in ultrathin BiFeO$_3$ stabilizes a non-trivial antiferromagnetic state exhibiting symmetry-protected spin-split bands that provide the non-trivial sign inversion of the spin current, which is a characteristic of an altermagnet. This work provides an understanding of the anisotropic spin transport in complex antiferromagnetic heterostructures where ferroelectricity and altermagnetism coexist, paving the way for a new route to realize electric-field control of a novel state of magnetism.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Harnessing the polar vortex motion in oxide heterostructures

Polar topology, an analogue of the magnetic topology, serves as a large playground for exotic physical phenomena with a wide range of multifunctional applications. Polar vortices and skyrmions are representative polar topologies that have been predicted to significantly enhance the functionality and information density of nanoelectronic devices due to their ultrasmall dimensions. Despite these advantages, the practical realization of polar topologies in devices is impeded by the intrinsic challenges associated with their controlled motion and manipulation. Therefore, harnessing vortex manipulation-such as motion, on demand creation, annihilation, and shape transformation-is essential for practical device integration. However, vortex motion is often challenged by intrinsic physical limitations in collective lattice distortions and strong pinning effects from the surrounding environment, which remains elusive. In this study, we present real time observation of vortex motion in PbTiO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures, achieved through the application of localized pulsed electric fields and trailing bias fields from a conductive tip. Notably, the vortices exhibit reversible motion in response to the field direction. Furthermore, by precisely manoeuvring the conductive Atomic-Force-Microscopy tip along specific trajectories, we achieved controlled vortex reshaping, with reconfigured vortices showing remarkable stability over extended periods. This underline physical mechanism is further pinpointed by phase-field simulations, which revealed that the motion of the vortex boundary is controlled through the switching of the zigzag patterns of the vortex core. This study highlights the feasibility of harnessing vortex dynamics through external stimuli, advancing the fundamental physical understanding and prospects for next-generation polar vortex-based nanoelectronic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Origin of unexpected weak Gilbert damping in the LSMO/Pt bilayer system

This study presents a first-principles and semiclassical analysis of the puzzling observation that a La$_{0.7}$Sr$_{0.3}$MnO$_3$ (LSMO) thin film exhibits larger Gilbert damping than an LSMO/Pt bilayer, contrary to conventional spin-pumping expectations. Density functional theory with Wannier interpolation yields an intrinsic damping of $\alpha_{\mathrm{int}}^{\mathrm{LSMO}}\!\approx\!1.4\times10^{-3}$, supporting an extrinsic origin of the high experimental value. Guided by the self-induced inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) demonstrated in LSMO [Gupta et al., Phys.Rev. B 109, 014437 (2024)], we argue that the large spin Hall angle $|\theta_{\mathrm{SH}}|\simeq 0.093$ and low longitudinal conductivity of LSMO enable an efficient conversion of spin current to charge current boosting the effective damping. In the LSMO/Pt heterostructure the Pt cap shunts the charge current, raising $\sigma_{xx}$ and reducing the interfacial $|\theta_{\mathrm{SH}}|$ to~0.007. A Valet-Fert analysis for layer-resolved ab-initio spin accumulation gives the Pt spin-diffusion length and a non-negligible antidamping SOT coefficient, qualitatively accounting for the observed damping reduction under current bias. The seemingly anomalous damping hierarchy is thus reconciled without invoking additional interfacial mechanisms. The distinct length scales governing spin-pumping normalization, namely, the short absorption depth relevant to self-pumping in a single LSMO film versus the full magnetic thickness applicable to an LSMO/Pt bilayer, are crucial in this context. This observation suggests a practical design strategy: by simultaneously tuning the spin Hall-to-longitudinal conductivity ratio and the spin-diffusion length, one can engineer heterostructures with minimized magnetic losses for spin-orbitronics applications.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Dependence of Exchange Bias on Interparticle Interactions in Co/CoO Core/shell Nanostructures

This article reports dependence of exchange bias (EB) effect on interparticle interactions in nanocrystalline Co/CoO core/shell structures, synthesized using conventional sol-gel technique. Analysis via powder X-Ray diffraction (PXRD) studies and transmission electron microscope (TEM) images confirm absence of crystalline phases other than core-shell Co-CoO with average particle size $\approx$18 nm. Volume fraction ($\varphi$) is varied (from 20\% to 1\%) by introduction of stoichiometric amount of non-magnetic amorphous silica matrix (SiO$_2$) which leads to a change in interparticle separation/interaction. The influence of exchange and dipolar interactions on the EB effect, caused by the variation in interparticle interaction/separation is studied for a series of Co/CoO core/shell nanoparticle systems. Studies of thermal variation of magnetization ($M- T$) and magnetic hysteresis loops ($M- H$) for the series point towards strong dependence of magnetic properties on dipolar interaction in concentrated assemblies whereas individual nanoparticle response is dominant in isolated nanoparticle systems. The analysis of the EB effect reveals a monotonic increase of coercivity ($H_C$) and EB field ($H_E$) with increasing volume fraction. When the nanoparticles are close enough and the interparticle interaction is significant, collective behavior leads to an increase in the effective antiferromagnetic (AFM) CoO shell thickness which results in high $H_C$, $H_E$. Moreover, in concentrated assemblies, the dipolar field superposes to the local exchange field and enhances the EB effect contributing as an additional source of unidirectional anisotropy.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Magnon mediated spin pumping by coupled ferrimagnetic garnets heterostructure

Spin pumping has significant implications for spintronics, providing a mechanism to manipulate and transport spins for information processing. Understanding and harnessing spin currents through spin pumping is critical for the development of efficient spintronic devices. The use of a magnetic insulator with low damping, enhances the signal-to-noise ratio in crucial experiments such as spin-torque ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) and spin pumping. A magnetic insulator coupled with a heavy metal or quantum material offers a more straight forward model system, especially when investigating spin-charge interconversion processes to greater accuracy. This simplicity arises from the absence of unwanted effects caused by conduction electrons unlike in ferromagnetic metals. Here, we investigate the spin pumping in coupled ferrimagnetic (FiM) Y3Fe5O12 (YIG)/Tm3Fe5O12 (TmIG) bilayers combined with heavy-metal (Pt) using the inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE). It is observed that magnon transmission occurs at both of the FiMs FMR positions. The enhancement of spin pumping voltage (Vsp) in the FiM garnet heterostructures is attributed to the strong interfacial exchange coupling between FiMs. The modulation of Vsp is achieved by tuning the bilayer structure. Further, the spin mixing conductance for these coupled systems is found to be 10^18 m^-2. Our findings describe a novel coupled FiM system for the investigation of magnon coupling providing new prospects for magnonic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Self-induced inverse spin Hall effect in La$_{0.67}$Sr$_{0.33}$MnO$_{3}$ films

The efficient generation of spin currents and spin torques via spin-orbit coupling is an important goal of spintronics research. One crucial metric for spin current generation is the spin Hall angle, which is the ratio of the spin Hall current to the transversely flowing charge current. A typical approach to measure the spin Hall angle in nonmagnetic materials is to generate spin currents via spin pumping in an adjacent ferromagnetic layer and measure the transverse voltage from the inverse spin Hall effect in the nonmagnetic layer. However, given that the spin Hall effect also occurs in ferromagnets, single ferromagnetic layers could generate a self-induced transverse voltage during spin pumping as well. Here we show that manganite based La$_{0.67}$Sr$_{0.33}$MnO$_{3}$ (LSMO) films deposited by pulsed laser deposition exhibit a significant self-induced inverse spin Hall voltage while undergoing spin pumping. We observe efficient spin to charge conversion in the LSMO films via the inverse spin Hall effect. A spin pumping voltage of 1.86 $\mu$V is observed in the LSMO (12 nm) film. Using density functional theory and the Kubo formalism, we calculate the intrinsic spin current conductivities of these films and show that they are in reasonable agreement with the experimental measurements.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2021

Spin pumping and inverse spin Hall effect in CoFeB/IrMn heterostructures

High spin to charge conversion efficiency is the requirement for the spintronics devices which is governed by spin pumping and inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE). In last one decade, ISHE and spin pumping are heavily investigated in ferromagnet/ heavy metal (HM) heterostructures. Recently antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials are found to be good replacement of HMs because AFMs exhibit terahertz spin dynamics, high spin-orbit coupling, and absence of stray field. In this context we have performed the ISHE in CoFeB/ IrMn heterostructures. Spin pumping study is carried out for $Co_{40}Fe_{40}B_{20} (12\ nm)/ Cu (3\ nm)/ Ir_{50}Mn_{50} (t\ nm)/ AlO_{x} (3\ nm)$ samples where \textit{t} value varies from 0 to 10 nm. Damping of all the samples are higher than the single layer CoFeB which indicates that spin pumping due to IrMn is the underneath mechanism. Further the spin pumping in the samples are confirmed by angle dependent ISHE measurements. We have also disentangled other spin rectifications effects and found that the spin pumping is dominant in all the samples. From the ISHE analysis the real part of spin mixing conductance (\textit{$g_{r}^{\uparrow \downarrow}$}) is found to be 0.704 $\pm$ 0.003 $\times$ $10^{18}$ $m^{-2}$.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Spin pumping and inverse spin Hall effect in iridium oxide

Large charge-to-spin conversion (spin Hall angle) and spin Hall conductivity are prerequisites for development of next generation power efficient spintronic devices. In this context, heavy metals (e.g. Pt, W etc.), topological insulators, antiferromagnets are usually considered because they exhibit high spin-orbit coupling (SOC). In addition to the above materials, 5d transition metal oxide e.g. Iridium Oxide (IrO 2 ) is a potential candidate which exhibits high SOC strength. Here we report a study of spin pumping and inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE), via ferromagnetic resonance (FMR), in IrO 2 /CoFeB system. We identify the individual contribution of spin pumping and other spin rectification effects in the magnetic layer, by investigating the in-plane angular dependence of ISHE signal. Our analysis shows significant contribution of spin pumping effect to the ISHE signal. We show that polycrystalline IrO 2 thin film exhibits high spin Hall conductivity and spin Hall angle which are comparable to the values of Pt.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Simultaneous observation of anti-damping and inverse spin Hall effect in La$_{0.67}$Sr$_{0.33}$MnO$_{3}$/Pt bilayer system

Manganites have shown potential in spintronics because they exhibit high spin polarization. Here, by ferromagnetic resonance we have studied the damping properties of La$_{0.67}$Sr$_{0.33}$MnO$_{3}$/Pt bilayers which are prepared by oxide molecular beam epitaxy. The damping coefficient ($\alpha$) of La$_{0.67}$Sr$_{0.33}$MnO$_{3}$ (LSMO) single layer is found to be 0.0104. However the LSMO/Pt bilayers exhibit decrease in $\alpha$ with increase in Pt thickness. This decrease in the value of $\alpha$ is probably due to high anti-damping like torque. Further, we have investigated the angle dependent inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) to quantify the spin pumping voltage from other spin rectification effects such as anomalous Hall effect and anisotropic magnetoresistance. We have observed high spin pumping voltage ($\sim$~20 $ \mu V$). The results indicate that both anti-damping and spin pumping phenomena are occuring simultaneously.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

High spin mixing conductance and spin interface transparency at $Co_2Fe_{0.4}Mn_{0.6}Si$ Heusler alloy and Pt interface

Ferromagnetic materials exhibiting low magnetic damping ($\alpha$) and moderately high saturation magnetization are required from the viewpoints of generation, transmission and detection of spin wave. Since spin-to-charge conversion efficiency is another important parameter, high spin mixing conductance ($g_{r}^{\uparrow \downarrow}$) is the key for efficient spin-to-charge conversion. Full Heusler alloys e.g. $Co_2Fe_{0.4}Mn_{0.6}Si$ (CFMS), which are predicted to be 100$\%$ spin polarized, possess low $\alpha$. However, the $g_{r}^{\uparrow \downarrow}$ at the interface between CFMS and a paramagnet has not fully been understood. Here, we report the investigations of spin pumping and inverse spin Hall effect in $CFMS/Pt$ bilayers. Damping analysis indicates the presence of significant spin pumping at the interface of CFMS and Pt, which is also confirmed by the detection of inverse spin Hall voltage. We show that in CFMS/Pt the $g_{r}^{\uparrow \downarrow}$ (1.77$\times$10$^{20}$m$^{-2}$) and interface transparency (84$\%$) are higher compared to values reported for other ferromagnet/heavy metal systems.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗