arXiv subjects

Yanglong Hou

Publications and source records attributed to Yanglong Hou.

13 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2026

Magnetic field-induced non-trivial Lifshitz transition in TaCo2Te2

Magnetic-field-driven Lifshitz transitions are typically considered zero-temperature phenomena involving Fermi-surface reconstruction without symmetry breaking. Here, we report an unconventional Lifshitz transition in TaCo2Te2 that emerges exclusively within a narrow finite-temperature window under cooperative tuning by both temperature and magnetic field. Bulk-sensitive transport and thermoelectric measurements demonstrate continuous Fermi-surface renormalization at low temperatures, where the transition is sharply triggered by a critical magnetic field. Crucially, neutron diffraction reveals the absence of structural or magnetic phase transitions, while angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy shows no spectral anomalies in electronic structure without magnetic field. These observations constrain the mechanism to a Zeeman-driven process invisible to equilibrium probes, establishing a paradigm where Fermi-surface topology is jointly controlled by temperature and magnetic field.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Unidirectional magnetoresistance driven by nonequilibrium antiferromagnetic magnons

Magnetoresistive effects are typically symmetric under magnetization reversal. However, nonlinear spin transport can give rise to unidirectional magnetoresistance in systems with strong spin-orbit interaction and broken inversion symmetry. Here, we demonstrate that the nonequilibrium magnon accumulation characterized by a finite magnon chemical potential can lead to a large and robust magnonic unidirectional spin Hall magnetoresistance (USMR) in the weakly coupled van der Waals antiferromagnet CrPS4 in contact with Pt. Unlike conventional magnonic USMR driven by magnetization fluctuations, this effect persists under strong magnetic fields and low temperatures, with a pronounced peak near the spin-flip transition. The magnitude of magnonic USMR in CrPS4/Pt exceeds that of YIG/Pt by more than two orders of magnitude and surpasses the electrical USMR in metallic Ta/Co bilayers by a factor of two. The observed field and temperature dependence indicates that spin transport is dominated by magnon chemical potential gradients rather than thermal- or fluctuation-driven magnon generation. These findings establish a new mechanism for nonlinear magnetoresistance in antiferromagnetic van der Waals heterostructures and open a route to magnon-based antiferromagnetic spintronic functionalities in two-terminal device geometries.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Diamond-based sensing of stray fields from the bulk of thin-film magnets via nano-indentation

Measurement of the magnetization in the bulk of thin-film or two-dimensional materials is important for understanding their intrinsic properties without the complications from edges or domain walls. However, the stray fields from the bulk vanish or are very weak, which limits the application of direct measurement methods. Here, we develop a non-destructive approach to directly measuring the stray fields from the bulk of thin-film magnets at arbitrarily designatable locations, with nanoscale spatial resolution. We employ nano-indentation to induce the leakage of stray fields from the materials and use nano-diamond magnetometers to measure them. We apply the method to iron thin films and determine the intrinsic magnetization in the bulk of the materials. This work provides direct access to the intrinsic magnetic properties of thin-film and low-dimensional materials, as well as a method to study the mechanical effects on magnetization in nanomaterials.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2025

Reconfigurable Room Temperature Exchange Bias through N\'eel Order Switching in van der Waals Heterostructures

Exchange bias effect plays a crucial role in modern magnetic memory technology. Recently, van der Waals magnetic materials have emerged and shown potential in spintronic devices at atomic scale. Owing to their tunable physical properties and the flexibility in fabrication, the van der Waals heterostructures offer more possibilities for investigating potential mechanisms of the exchange bias effect. However, due to low magnetic ordering temperatures for most van der Waals magnets, to establish exchange bias in van der Waals antiferromagnet/ferromagnet heterostructures at room temperature is challenging. In this study, we fabricate (Fe$_{0.56}$Co$_{0.44}$)$_{5}$GeTe$_{2}$(FCGT)/Fe$_{3}$GaTe$_{2}$(FGaT) heterostructures with magnetic ordering temperatures of each component well above room temperature to achieve a room temperature exchange bias effect. It is found that the sign and magnitude of the exchange bias field can be efficiently controlled by manipulating the N\'eel order of FCGT with magnetic field. The manipulation of N\'eel order shows significant magnetic field dependence. A strong pre-set field induces a switch in the N\'eel order of FCGT, which aligns the interfacial magnetization at the FCGT/FGaT interface, leading to robust exchange bias, as revealed by both transport measurements and macro-spin model calculations. Our findings demonstrate the intrinsic manipulation and switchable of room-temperature exchange bias in all-van der Waals heterostructures and further promote the development of novel two-dimensional spintronic devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2025

Layer-dependent field-free switching of N\'eel vector in a van der Waals antiferromagnet

Two-dimensional antiferromagnets, combining the dual advantages of van der Waals (vdW) and antiferromagnetic materials, provide an unprecedented platform for exploring emergent spin-related phenomena. However, electrical manipulation of N\'eel vectors in vdW antiferromagnets - the cornerstone of antiferromagnetic spintronics - remains challenging. Here, we report layer-dependent electrical switching of the N\'eel vector in an A-type vdW antiferromagnet $(Fe,Co)_3$$GaTe_2$ (FCGT) with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The N\'eel vector of FCGT with odd-number vdW layers can be 180{\deg} reversed via spin-orbit torques. Furthermore, we achieve field-free switching in an all-vdW, all-antiferromagnet heterostructure of FCGT/CrSBr in which the noncollinear interfacial spin texture breaks the mirror symmetry. Our results establish layer-controlled spin symmetries and interfacial spin engineering as universal paradigms for manipulating antiferromagnetic order, paving the way for realising reliable and efficient vdW antiferromagnetic devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2025

Colossal magnetoresistance in a quasi-two-dimensional cluster glass semiconductor

With a surge of interest in spintronics, the manipulation and detection of colossal magnetoresistance in quasi-two-dimensional layered magnetic materials have become a key focus, driven by their relatively scarce occurrence compared to giant magnetoresistance and tunneling magnetoresistance. This study presents an investigation into the desired colossal magnetoresistance, achieved by introducing magnetic frustration through Te doping in quasi-two-dimensional antiferromagnet Cr2Se3 matrix. The resulting Cr0.98SeTe0.27 exhibits cluster glass-like behavior with a freezing temperature of 28 K. Magnetotransport studies reveal a significant negative magnetoresistance of up to 32%. Additionally, angle-dependent transport measurements demonstrate a magnetic field-induced transition from positive to negative resistance anisotropy, suggesting a magnetic field-driven alteration in the electronic structure of this narrow band gap semiconductor, a characteristic feature of the colossal magnetoresistance effect. This behavior is further corroborated by density functional theory calculations. This systematic investigation provides a crucial understanding of the control of colossal magnetoresistance in quasi-two-dimensional materials via competing exchange interactions.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2024

Spin Seebeck in the weak exchange coupled van der Waals antiferromagnet

Spin Seebeck effect (SSE) refers to the creation of spin currents due to a temperature gradient in the magnetic materials or across magnet-normal metal interfaces, which can be electrically detected through the inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) when in contact with heavy metals. It offers fundamental insights into the magnetic properties of materials, including the magnetic phase transition, static magnetic order, and magnon excitations. However, the SSE in van der Waals antiferromagnet is still elusive, especially across the spin-flip transition. Here, we demonstrate the SSE in the weak exchange coupled van der Waals antiferromagnet CrPS$_4$. The SSE increases as the magnetic field increases before the spin-flip transition due to the enhancement of the thermal spin current as a function of the applied field. A peak of SSE is observed at the spin-flip field, which is related to the magnon mode edges across the spin-flip field. Our results extend SSE research to van der Waals antiferromagnets and demonstrate an enhancement of SSE at the spin-flip transition.

physics.app-ph↗

arXiv2024

Direct observation of strong t-e orbital hybridization and the effects of f orbitals

Recent research has revealed that the Cr family perovskite ReCrO$_3$ exhibits intriguing magnetic coupling interactions within Cr pairs, which may not follow the Goodenough-Kanamori (GK) rules due to the t-e hybridization between Cr$^\mathrm{III}$ ions. We investigate the complex magnetism involving both t-e hybridization and Re-$f$ orbitals in the molecular analogue of perovskite [$\mathrm{Ce_2^{III}Ce^{IV}Cr_8^{III}O_8(O_2CPh)_{18}(HO_2CPh)}$] ($\mathrm{Ce_3Cr_8}$) using first-principles method. Our results have shown that distinct from the bulk ReCrO$_3$, the superexchange via Cr-$d$ and O-$p$ orbitals can exhibit a unexpected dominate ferromagnetic (FM) Cr-O-Cr superexchange interaction in $\mathrm{Ce_3Cr_8}$ due to the strong t-e hybridization originated from the distorted molecular structure. The great sensitivity of the t-e hybridization with respect to the molecular structure, e.g., the angle of Cr-O-Cr, can lead to a ground state transition from ferromagnetic to antiferromagnetic state with the changes in the angle of Cr-O-Cr. The Ce-$f$ orbitals near the Fermi level can reduce this sensitivity through interacting with the Cr-$d$ orbitals via the virtual charge transfer process. Our results are strongly supported by a modified superexchange model based on the t-e hybridization theory. These findings complete the theory of superexchange magnetism involving the t-e hybridization and $f$ orbitals, and in the meanwhile introduce a new avenue for fine-tuning the magnetic characteristics via Tm-d/Re-f interactions at nanoscale.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2023

Efficient current-induced spin torques and field-free magnetization switching in a room-temperature van der Waals magnet

The discovery of magnetism in van der Waals (vdW) materials has established unique building blocks for the research of emergent spintronic phenomena. In particular, owing to their intrinsically clean surface without dangling bonds, the vdW magnets hold the potential to construct a superior interface that allows for efficient electrical manipulation of magnetism. Despite several attempts in this direction, it usually requires a cryogenic condition and the assistance of external magnetic fields, which is detrimental to the real application. Here, we fabricate heterostructures based on Fe3GaTe2 flakes that possess room-temperature ferromagnetism with excellent perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. The current-driven non-reciprocal modulation of coercive fields reveals a high spin-torque efficiency in the Fe3GaTe2/Pt heterostructures, which further leads to a full magnetization switching by current. Moreover, we demonstrate the field-free magnetization switching resulting from out-of-plane polarized spin currents by asymmetric geometry design. Our work could expedite the development of efficient vdW spintronic logic, memory and neuromorphic computing devices.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2023

Electrically programmable magnetic coupling in an Ising network exploiting solid-state ionic gating

Two-dimensional arrays of magnetically coupled nanomagnets provide a mesoscopic platform for exploring collective phenomena as well as realizing a broad range of spintronic devices. In particular, the magnetic coupling plays a critical role in determining the nature of the cooperative behaviour and providing new functionalities in nanomagnet-based devices. Here, we create coupled Ising-like nanomagnets in which the coupling between adjacent nanomagnetic regions can be reversibly converted between parallel and antiparallel through solid-state ionic gating. This is achieved with the voltage-control of magnetic anisotropies in a nanosized region where the symmetric exchange interaction favours parallel alignment and the antisymmetric exchange interaction, namely the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, favours antiparallel alignment. Applying this concept to a two-dimensional lattice, we demonstrate a voltage-controlled phase transition in artificial spin ices. Furthermore, we achieve an addressable control of the individual couplings and realize an electrically programmable Ising network, which opens up new avenues to design nanomagnet-based logic devices and neuromorphic computers

cond-mat.mes-hall↗

arXiv2022

Dative epitaxy of commensurate monocrystalline covalent-van der Waals moiré supercrystal

Realizing van der Waals (vdW) epitaxy in the 80s represents a breakthrough that circumvents the stringent lattice matching and processing compatibility requirements in conventional covalent heteroepitaxy. However, due to the weak vdW interactions, there is little control over film qualities by the substrate. Typically, discrete domains with a spread of misorientation angles are formed, limiting the applicability of vdW epitaxy. Here we report the epitaxial growth of monocrystalline, covalent Cr5Te8 2D crystals on monolayer vdW WSe2 by chemical vapor deposition, driven by interfacial dative bond formation. The lattice of Cr5Te8, with a lateral dimension of a few ten microns, is fully commensurate with that of WSe2 via 3 x 3 (Cr5Te8)-7 x 7 (WSe2) supercell matching, forming a single crystalline moire superlattice. Our work has established a conceptually distinct paradigm of thin film epitaxy termed dative epitaxy, which takes full advantage of covalent epitaxy with chemical bonding for fixing the atomic registry and crystal orientation, while circumventing its stringent lattice matching and processing compatibility requirements; conversely, it ensures the full flexibility of vdW epitaxy, while avoiding its poor orientation control. Cr5Te8 2D crystals grown by dative epitaxy exhibit square magnetic hysteresis, suggesting minimized interfacial defects that can serve as pinning sites.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2022

Ultra-efficient magnetism modulation in a Weyl ferromagnet by current-assisted domain wall motion

Flexible and efficient manipulation of magnetic configurations can be challenging. In the design of practical devices, achieving a high effective magnetic field with a low working current is under tight demand. Here, we report a unique method for efficient magnetism modulation by direct current injection in magnetic Weyl semimetal Co3Sn2S2. We demonstrate that the modulation process stems from current-assisted domain wall motion. Through two independent methods, we reveal that the spin-transfer torque efficiency of Co3Sn2S2 reaches as high as 2.4-5.6 kOe MA^(-1) cm^2, and the threshold current density for driving the magnetic domain walls is as low as <5.1*10^5 A/cm^2 without an external field, and <1.5*10^5 A/cm^2 with a moderate external field. Our findings manifest a new and powerful approach for sub-micron magnetism manipulation, and also open the door towards a new paradigm of spintronics that combines magnetism, topology, and metallicity for low-energy consumption memory and computing.

cond-mat.mtrl-sci↗

arXiv2021

Covalent 2D Cr$_2$Te$_3$ ferromagnet

To broaden the scope of van der Waals 2D magnets, we report the synthesis and magnetism of covalent 2D magnetic Cr$_2$Te$_3$ with a thickness down to one-unit-cell. The 2D Cr$_2$Te$_3$ crystals exhibit robust ferromagnetism with a Curie temperature of 180 K, a large perpendicular anisotropy of 7*105 J m-3, and a high coercivity of ~ 4.6 kG at 20 K. First-principles calculations further show a transition from canted to collinear ferromagnetism, a transition from perpendicular to in-plane anisotropy, and emergent half-metallic behavior in atomically-thin Cr$_2$Te$_3$, suggesting its potential application for injecting carriers with high spin polarization into spintronic devices.

cond-mat.mes-hall↗