Reorientation in Antiferromagnetic Multilayers: Spin-Flop Transition and Surface Effects

We use symmetry analysis and density functional theory to characterize antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials which have a finite equilibrium magnetization density on particular surface terminations. A nonzero magnetic dipole moment per unit area or "surface magnetization" can arise on particular surfaces of many AFMs due to the bulk magnetic symmetries. Such surface magnetization plays an essential role in numerous device applications, from random-access magnetoelectric (ME) memo...

It is widely known that antiferromagnets (AFMs) display a high frequency response in the terahertz (THz) range, which opens up the possibility for ultrafast control of their magnetization for next generation data storage and processing applications. However, because the magnetization of the different sublattices cancel, their state is notoriously difficult to read. One way to overcome this is to couple AFMs to ferromagnets - whose state is trivially read via magneto-resistanc...

Multilayer "ferromagnet-layered antiferromagnet" (Fe/Cr) structures frustrated due to the roughness of layer interfaces are studied by numerical modeling methods. The "thickness-roughness" phase diagrams for the case of thin ferromagnetic film on the surface of bulk antiferromagnet and for two ferromagnetic layers separated by an antiferromagnetic interlayer are obtained and the order parameter distributions for all phases are found. The phase transitions nature in such syste...

We summarize our recent findings on how current-driven magnetization switching and magnetoresistance in nanofabricated magnetic multilayers are affected by varying the spin-scattering properties of the non-magnetic spacers, the relative orientations of the magnetic layers, and spin-dependent scattering properties of the interfaces and the bulk of the magnetic layers. We show how our data are explained in terms of current-dependent effective magnetic temperature.

As discussed in this chapter, we develop a mean-field mathematical method to calculate the ground states of antiferromagnets and better understand the applied magnetic-field induced exotic properties. Within antiferromagnetic materials competitive and cooperative interactions exist leading to substance extraordinary magnetic states. Our calculations predict that applying a magnetic field to antiferromagnets can switch it from one magnetic state to another. These include antif...

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 structural and magnetic properties of a series of superlattices consisting of two ferromagnetic metals La$_{0.7}$Sr$_{0.3}$MnO$_3$ (LSMO) and SrRuO$_3$ (SRO) grown on (001) oriented SrTiO$_3$ are studied. Superlattices with a fixed LSMO layer thickness of 20 unit cells (u.c.) and varying SRO layer thickness show a sudden drop in magnetization on cooling through temperature where both LSMO and SRO layers are ferromagnetic. This behavior suggests an antiferromagnetic coupli...

In this work, we comprehensively investigate and discuss the structural, magnetostatic, dynamic, and magnetoresistive properties of epitaxial Co/Mo superlattices. The magnetization of the Co sublayers is coupled antiferromagnetically with a strength that depends on the thickness of the nonmagnetic Mo spacer. The magnetization and magnetoresistance hysteresis loops clearly reflect interlayer exchange coupling and the occurrence of uniaxial magnetic anisotropy induced by the st...

We observe a thermally induced spontaneous magnetization reversal of epitaxial ferromagnet/antiferromagnet heterostructures under a constant applied magnetic field. Unlike any other magnetic system, the magnetization spontaneously reverses, aligning anti-parallel to an applied field with decreasing temperature. We show that this unusual phenomenon is caused by the interfacial antiferromagnetic coupling overcoming the Zeeman energy of the ferromagnet. A significant temperature...

By exploiting proximity coupling, we probe the spin state of the surface layers of CrI3, a van der Waals magnetic semiconductor, by measuring the induced magnetoresistance (MR) of Pt in Pt/CrI3 nano-devices. We fabricate the devices with clean and stable interfaces by placing freshly exfoliated CrI3 flake atop pre-patterned thin Pt strip and encapsulating the Pt/CrI3 heterostructure with hexagonal boron nitride (hBN) in a protected environment. In devices consisting of a wide...