arXiv subjects

Steven S. -L. Zhang

Publications and source records attributed to Steven S. -L. Zhang.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Gate-tunable electronic properties of epitaxial Bi (111) films using a printable hexagonal boron nitride ionogel

Achieving effective electrostatic control of carrier transport in semimetals remains challenging due to strong screening and multiband effects. We report efficient low voltage top gated control of electronic transport in epitaxial Bi (111) thin films grown on GaAs (111) substrates using a printable hexagonal boron nitride ionogel. Magnetotransport measurements reveal pronounced nonlinear Hall conductivities arising from multiband electron and hole contributions. Remarkably, the application of a small gate voltage (less than 0.4 V in magnitude) leads to a systematic evolution of the low field Hall conductivity slope and the electron-hole compensation point. The response to gate voltage depends upon thickness and temperature. The observed behavior cannot be explained by a conventional Fermi level shift with rigid bands and instead indicates a non rigid band response associated with multiband effects and a gat tunable Rashba spin orbit coupling. Our results establish printable ionogel gating as a powerful approach to tune multiband transport in topological semimetals.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2026

Roles of Electron-Magnon Cross Diffusion in Unidirectional Magnetoresistance of Metallic Magnetic Bilayers

Unidirectional magnetoresistance (UMR) in metallic bilayers arises from nonlinear spin-charge transport mediated by broken time-reversal and inversion symmetries, yet the role of magnons remains unsettled. We develop a theoretical framework that incorporates coupled electron-magnon dynamics, revealing cross diffusion and spin-angular-momentum transfer between the two subsystems, which renormalize the characteristic electron and magnon spin-diffusion lengths. We show that nonequilibrium magnons, indirectly excited by the electric field, can suppress UMR by absorbing spin angular momentum from conduction electrons. We also analyze the magnetic-field, thickness, and temperature dependencies and identify distinct features that constitute experimental fingerprints of magnonic contributions to UMR in metallic bilayers, providing qualitative to semiquantitative guidance for elucidating the underlying physical mechanisms.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Synthesis and transport properties of epitaxial Bi (111) films on GaAs (111) substrates

In recent decades, the growth of ultrathin epitaxial bismuth (Bi) films on various substrates has garnered interest due to their unique electronic properties. We report upon the growth and electrical transport properties of epitaxial Bi (111) films in the thickness range of 5-32 nm deposited directly on GaAs (111) substrates, without a buffer layer. The quality of Bi films is found to depend on conditions for substrate treatment using Ar+ ion-milling and annealing. Substrates milled at low ion beam currents display poor surface reconstruction after annealing, which hinders the growth of high-quality films. In contrast, substrates milled under optimized conditions led to reconstructed surfaces upon annealing, resulting in epitaxial Bi films with predominantly single-domain orientation. Although epitaxial films formed in both cases, transport measurements indicated significantly higher conductivity for films grown on optimally treated substrates. Measurements at low temperatures suggest that the transport properties are dominated by a surface state with high mobility electrons. Magneto-transport measurements suggest that conductivity and mobility improve progressively with increasing film thickness. For the thinnest 5 nm film, a hole-like state emerges, presumably as the electron-like state is gapped out. These results provide a robust methodology for growing high-quality epitaxial Bi films on GaAs (111) and offer insights into their unique transport properties, and our ability to tune them.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Spin-polarized antiferromagnetic metals

Spin-polarized antiferromagnets have recently gained significant interest because they combine the advantages of both ferromagnets (spin polarization) and antiferromagnets (absence of net magnetization) for spintronics applications. In particular, spin-polarized antiferromagnetic metals can be useful as active spintronics materials because of their high electrical and thermal conductivities and their ability to host strong interactions between charge transport and magnetic spin textures. We review spin and charge transport phenomena in spin-polarized antiferromagnetic metals, in which the interplay of metallic conductivity and spin-split bands offers novel practical applications and new fundamental insights into antiferromagnetism. We focus on three types of antiferromagnets: canted antiferromagnets, noncollinear antiferromagnets, and collinear altermagnets. We also discuss how the investigation of spin-polarized antiferromagnetic metals can open doors to future research directions.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Proximity-induced nonlinear magnetoresistances on topological insulators

We employ quadratic-response Kubo formulas to investigate the nonlinear magnetotransport in bilayers composed of a topological insulator and a magnetic insulator, and predict both unidirectional magnetoresistance and nonlinear planar Hall effects driven by interfacial disorder and spin-orbit scattering. These effects exhibit strong dependencies on the Fermi energy relative to the strength of the exchange interaction between the spins of Dirac electrons and the interfacial magnetization. In particular, as the Fermi energy becomes comparable to the exchange energy, the nonlinear magnetotransport coefficients can be greatly amplified and their dependencies on the magnetization orientation deviate significantly from conventional sinusoidal behavior. These findings may not only deepen our understanding of the origin of nonlinear magnetotransport in magnetic topological systems but also open new pathways to probe the Fermi and exchange energies via transport measurements.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Magnetoresistive detection of perpendicular switching in a magnetic insulator

Spintronics offers promising routes for efficient memory, logic, and computing technologies. The central challenge in spintronics is electrically manipulating and detecting magnetic states in devices. The electrical control of magnetization via spin-orbit torques is effective in both conducting and insulating magnetic layers. However, the electrical readout of magnetization in the latter is inherently difficult, limiting its use in practical applications. Here, we demonstrate magnetoresistive detection of perpendicular magnetization reversal in an electrically insulating ferrimagnet, terbium iron garnet (TbIG). To do so, we use TbIG|Cu|TbCo, where TbCo is a conducting ferrimagnet and serves as the reference layer, and Cu is a nonmagnetic spacer. Current injection through Cu|TbCo allows us to detect the magnetization reversal of TbIG with a simple resistance readout during an external magnetic field sweep. By examining the effect of measurement temperature, TbCo composition, and Cu thickness on the sign and amplitude of the magnetoresistance, we conclude that the spin-dependent electron scattering at the TbIG|Cu interface is the underlying cause. Technologically-feasible magnetoresistive detection of perpendicular switching in a ferrimagnetic garnet is a breakthrough, as it opens broad avenues for novel insulating spintronic devices and concepts.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Quantum unidirectional magnetoresistance

We predict unidirectional magnetoresistance effects arising in a bilayer composed of a nonmagnetic metal and a ferromagnetic insulator, whereby both longitudinal and transverse resistances vary when the direction of the applied electric field is reversed or the magnetization of the ferromagnetic layer is rotated. In the presence of spin-orbit coupling, an electron wave incident on the interface of the bilayer undergoes a spin rotation and a momentum-dependent phase shift. Quantum interference between the incident and reflected waves furnishes the electron with an additional velocity that is even in the in-plane component of the electron's wavevector, giving rise to quadratic magnetotransport that is rooted in the wave nature of electrons. The corresponding unidirectional magnetoresistances exhibit decay lengths at the scale of the Fermi wavelength$-$distinctive signatures of the quantum nonlinear magnetotransport effect.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Unidirectional Magnetoresistance in Antiferromagnet/Heavy-metal bilayers

The interplay between electronic transport and antiferromagnetic order has attracted a surge of interest as recent studies have shown that a moderate change in the spin orientation of a collinear antiferromagnet may have a significant effect on the electronic band structure. Among numerous electrical probes to read out such magnetic order, unidirectional magnetoresistance (UMR), where the resistance changes under the reversal of the current direction, can provide rich insights into the transport properties of spin-orbit coupled systems. However, UMR has never been observed in antiferromagnets before, given the absence of intrinsic spin-dependent scattering. Here, we report a UMR in the antiferromagnetic phase of a FeRh$|$Pt bilayer, which undergoes a sign change and then increases strongly with an increasing external magnetic field, in contrast to UMRs in ferromagnetic and nonmagnetic systems. We show that Rashba spin-orbit coupling alone cannot explain the sizable UMR in the antiferromagnetic bilayer and that field-induced spin canting distorts the Fermi contours to greatly enhance the UMR by two orders of magnitude. Our results can motivate the growing field of antiferromagnetic spintronics, and suggest a route to the development of tunable antiferromagnet-based spintronics devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Spin anomalous-Hall unidirectional magnetoresistance

We predict a spin anomalous-Hall unidirectional magnetoresistance (AH-UMR) in conducting bilayers composed of a ferromagnetic layer and a nonmagnetic layer, which does $\textit{not}$ rely on the spin Hall effect in the normal metal layer$-$in stark contrast to the well-studied unidirectional spin-Hall magnetoresistance$-$but, instead, arises from the spin anomalous Hall effect in the ferromagnetic layer. Physically, it is the charge-spin conversion induced by the spin anomalous Hall effect that conspires with the structural inversion asymmetry to generate a net nonequilibrium spin density in the ferromagnetic layer, which, in turn, modulates the resistance of the bilayer when the direction of the applied current or the magnetization is reversed. The dependences of the spin AH-UMR effect on materials and geometric parameters are analyzed and compared with other nonlinear magnetoresistances. In particular, we show that, in magnetic bilayers where spin anomalous Hall and spin Hall effects are comparable, the overall UMR may undergo a sign change when the thickness of either layer is varied, suggesting a scheme to quantify the spin Hall or spin anomalous Hall angle via a nonlinear transport measurement.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Tunable spin-charge conversion in class-I topological Dirac semimetals

We theoretically demonstrate that class-I topological Dirac semimetals (TDSMs) can provide a platform for realizing both electrically and magnetically tunable spin-charge conversion. With time-reversal symmetry, the spin component along the uniaxial rotation axis ($z$-axis) is approximately conserved, which leads to an anisotropic spin Hall effect -- the resulting spin Hall current relies on the relative orientation between the external electric field and the $z$-axis. The application of a magnetic field, on the other hand, breaks time-reversal symmetry, driving the TDSM into a Weyl semimetal phase and, consequently, partially converting the spin current to a charge Hall current. Using the Kubo formulas, we numerically evaluate the spin and charge Hall conductivities based on a low-energy TDSM Hamiltonian together with the Zeeman coupling. Besides the conventional tensor element of the spin Hall conductivity $σ_{xy}^z$, we find that unconventional components, such as $σ_{xy}^x$ and $σ_{xy}^y$, also exist and vary as the magnetic field is rotated. Likewise, the charge Hall conductivity also exhibits appreciable tunability upon variation of the magnetic field. We show that such tunability -- as well as large spin-charge conversion efficiency -- arises from the interplay of symmetry and band topology of the TDSMs.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Giant Topological Hall Effect in van der Waals Heterostructures of CrTe2/Bi2Te3

Discoveries of interfacial topological Hall effect (THE) provide an ideal platform for exploring physics arising from the interplay between topology and magnetism. The interfacial topological Hall effect is closely related to the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) at interface and topological spin textures. However, it is difficult to achieve a sizable THE in heterostructures due to the stringent constraints on the constituents of THE heterostructures such as strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC). Here we report the observation of a giant THE signal of 1.39 $μΩ\cdot$cm in the van der Waals heterostructures of CrTe2/Bi2Te3 fabricated by molecular beam epitaxy, a prototype of two-dimensional (2D) ferromagnet (FM)/topological insulator (TI). This large magnitude of THE is attributed to an optimized combination of 2D ferromagnetism in CrTe2, strong SOC in Bi2Te3, and an atomically sharp interface. Our work reveals CrTe2/Bi2Te3 as a convenient platform for achieving large interfacial THE in hybrid systems, which could be utilized to develop quantum science and high-density information storage.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Large Magneto-Electric Resistance in the Topological Dirac Semimetal alpha Sn

The spin-momentum locking of surface states in topological quantum materials can produce a resistance that scales linearly with magnetic and electric fields. Such a bilinear magneto-electric resistance (BMER) effect offers a completely new approach for magnetic storage and magnetic field sensing applications. The effects demonstrated so far, however, are relatively weak or for low temperatures. Strong room-temperature BMER effects have now been found in topological Dirac semimetal alpha-Sn thin films. The epitaxial alpha-Sn films were grown by sputtering on silicon substrates. They showed BMER responses that are 10^6 times larger than previously reported at room temperature and also larger than that previously reported at low temperatures. These results represent a major advance toward realistic BMER applications. The data also made possible the first characterization of the three-dimensional, Fermi-level spin texture of topological surface states in alpha-Sn.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2021

Nonlinear Hall effect in Weyl semimetals induced by chiral anomaly

We predict a nonlinear Hall effect in certain Weyl semimetals with broken inversion symmetry. When the energy dispersions about pairs of Weyl nodes are skewed -- the Weyl cones are "tilted" -- the concerted actions of the anomalous velocity and the chiral anomaly give rise to the nonlinear Hall effect. This Hall conductivity is linear in both electric and magnetic fields, and depends critically on the tilting of the Weyl cones. We also show that this effect does not rely on a finite Berry curvature dipole, in contrast to the intrinsic quantum nonlinear Hall effect that was recently observed in type-II Weyl semimetals.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2020

Topological Hall Effect in a Topological Insulator Interfaced with a Magnetic Insulator

A topological insulator (TI) interfaced with a magnetic insulator (MI) may host an anomalous Hall effect (AHE), a quantum AHE, and a topological Hall effect (THE). Recent studies, however, suggest that coexisting magnetic phases in TI/MI heterostructures may result in an AHE-associated response that resembles a THE but in fact is not. This article reports a genuine THE in a TI/MI structure that has only one magnetic phase. The structure shows a THE in the temperature range of T=2-3 K and an AHE at T=80-300 K. Over T=3-80 K, the two effects coexist but show opposite temperature dependencies. Control measurements, calculations, and simulations together suggest that the observed THE originates from skyrmions, rather than the coexistence of two AHE responses. The skyrmions are formed due to an interfacial DMI interaction. The DMI strength estimated is substantially higher than that in heavy metal-based systems.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2020

Voltage control of magnon spin currents in antiferromagnetic Cr2O3

Voltage-controlled spintronic devices utilizing the spin degree of freedom are desirable for future applications, and may allow energy-efficient information processing. Pure spin current can be created by thermal excitations in magnetic systems via the spin Seebeck effect (SSE). However, controlling such spin currents, only by electrical means, has been a fundamental challenge. Here, we investigate voltage control of the SSE in the antiferromagnetic insulator Cr2O3. We demonstrate that the SSE response generated in this material can be effectively controlled by applying a bias voltage, owing to the sensitivity of the SSE to the orientation of the magnetic sublattices as well as the existence of magnetoelectric couplings in Cr2O3. Our experimental results are explained using a model based on the magnetoelectric effect in Cr2O3.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Distinguishing antiferromagnetic spin sublattices via the spin Seebeck effect

Antiferromagnets are beneficial for future spintronic applications due to their zero magnetic moment and ultrafast dynamics. But gaining direct access to their antiferromagnetic order and identifying the properties of individual magnetic sublattices, especially in thin films and small-scale devices, remains a formidable challenge. So far, the existing read-out techniques such as anisotropic magnetoresistance, tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance, and spin-Hall magnetoresistance, are even functions of sublattice magnetization and thus allow us to detect different orientations of the Néel order for antiferromagnets with multiple easy axes. In contrast direct electrical detection of oppositely oriented spin states along the same easy axes (e.g., in uniaxial antiferromagnets) requires sensitivity to the direction of individual sublattices and thus is more difficult. In this study, using spin Seebeck effect, we report the electrical detection of the two sublattices in a uniaxial antiferromagnet Cr2O3. We find the rotational symmetry and hysteresis behavior of the spin Seebeck signals measured at the top and bottom surface reflect the dierction of the surface sublattice moments, but not the Néel order or the net moment in the bulk. Our results demonstrate the important role of interface spin sublattices in generating the spin Seebeck voltages, which provide a way to access each sublattice independently, enables us to track the full rotation of the magnetic sublattice, and distinguish different and antiparallel antiferromagnetic states in uniaxial antiferromagnets.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2019

Nonlinear planar Hall effect

An intriguing property of three-dimensional (3D) topological insulator (TI) is the existence of surface states with spin-momentum locking, which offers a new frontier of exploration in spintronics. Here, we report the observation of a new type of Hall effect in a 3D TI Bi2Se3 film. The Hall resistance scales linearly with both the applied electric and magnetic fields and exhibits a π/2 angle offset with respect to its longitudinal counterpart, in contrast to the usual angle offset of π/4 between the linear planar Hall effect and the anisotropic magnetoresistance. This novel nonlinear planar Hall effect originates from the conversion of a nonlinear transverse spin current to a charge current due to the concerted actions of spin-momentum locking and time reversal symmetry breaking, which also exists in a wide class of non-centrosymmetric materials with a large span of magnitude. It provides a new way to characterize and utilize the nonlinear spin-to-charge conversion in a variety of topological quantum materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2019

Spin-to-charge conversion in magnetic Weyl semimetals

Weyl semimetals (WSMs) are a newly discovered class of quantum materials which can host a number of exotic bulk transport properties, such as the chiral magnetic effect, negative magneto-resistance, and the anomalous Hall effect. In this work, we investigate theoretically the spin-to-charge conversion in a bilayer consisting of a magnetic WSM and a normal metal (NM), where a charge current can be induced in the WSM by an spin current injection at the interface. We show that the induced charge current exhibits a peculiar anisotropy: it vanishes along the magnetization orientation of the magnetic WSM, regardless of the direction of the injected spin. This anisotropy originates from the unique band structure of magnetic WSMs and distinguishes the spin-to-charge conversion effect in WSM/NM structures from that observed in other systems, such as heterostructures involving heavy metals or topological insulators. The induced charge current depends strongly on injected spin orientation, as well as on the position of the Fermi level relative to the Weyl nodes and the separation between them. These dependencies provide additional means to control and manipulate spin-charge conversion in these topological materials.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗