Condensed Matter Physics Commons^™

Prediction Of A Spin-Polarized Two-Dimensional Electron Gas At The Laalo3/Euo(001) Interface, Yong Wang, Manish K. Niranjan, John D. Burton, Joonhee M. An, Kirill D. Belashchenko, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

First-principles calculations predict the existence of a spin-polarized two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at the LaO/EuO interface in a LaAlO₃/EuO(001) heterostructure. This polar interface favors electron doping into the Eu-5d conduction bands resulting in a 2DEG formed at the interface.

Universality Of The Surface Magnetoelectric Effect In Half-Metals, Chun-Gang Duan, Ce-Wen Nan, Sitaram S. Jaswal, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

An electric field applied to a ferromagnetic metal produces a surface magnetoelectric effect originating from the spin-dependent screening of the electric field which results in a change in the surface magnetization of the ferromagnet.

Prediction Of A Switchable Two-Dimensional Electron Gas At Ferroelectric Oxide Interfaces, Manish K. Niranjan, Yong Wang, Sitaram S. Jaswal, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

The demonstration of a quasi-two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) in LaAlO₃=SrTiO₃ heterostructures has stimulated intense research activity in recent years. The 2DEG has unique properties that are promising for applications in all-oxide electronic devices. For such applications it is desirable to have the ability to control 2DEG properties by external stimulus. Here, based on first-principles calculations we predict that all-oxide heterostructures incorporating ferroelectric constituents, such as KNbO₃=ATiO₃ (A = Sr, Ba, Pb), allow creating a 2DEG switchable between two conduction states by ferroelectric polarization reversal. The effect occurs due to the screening charge at …

Start The Presses, Stephen V. Ducharme, Alexei Gruverman

Stephen Ducharme Publications

A simple nanoimprinting method creates arrays of ferroelectric polymer structures suitable for low-cost, non-volatile memories. With the development of nanoimprinted high-quality ferroelectric nanomesa arrays, it seems that we now have all the necessary ingredients to print inexpensive, disposable organic memory chips.

Absence Of Spin Liquid Behavior In Nd3ga5sio14 Using Magneto-Optical Spectroscopy, X. S. Xu, T. V. Brinzari, S. Mcgill, H. D. Zhou, C. R. Wiebe, J. L. Musfeldt

Xiaoshan Xu Papers

We measured the low-lying crystal field levels of Nd³⁺ in Nd₃Ga₅SiO₁₄ via magneto-optical spectroscopy and employed the extracted energies, magnetic moments, and symmetries to analyze the magnetic properties and test the spin liquid candidacy of this material. The exchange interaction is surprisingly small, a discovery that places severe constraints on models used to describe the ground state of this system. Further, it demonstrates the value of local-probe photophysical techniques for rare-earthcontaining materials where bulk property measurements can be skewed by low-lying electronic structure.

Prediction Of Electrically Induced Magnetic Reconstruction At The Manganite/Ferroelectric Interface, John D. Burton, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

The control of magnetization via the application of an electric field, known as magnetoelectric coupling, is among the most fascinating and active research areas today. In addition to fundamental scientific interest, magnetoelectric effects may lead to new device concepts for data storage and processing. There are several known mechanisms for magnetoelectric coupling that include intrinsic effects in single-phase materials, strain-induced coupling in two-phase composites, and electronically driven effects at interfaces. Here we explore a different type of magnetoelectric effect at a ferromagnetic-ferroelectric interface: magnetic reconstruction induced by switching of electric polarization.

Oxide Tunnel Junctions Supporting A Two-Dimensional Electron Gas, John D. Burton, Julian P. Velev, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

The discovery of a two-dimensional electron gas (2DEG) at the interface between insulating oxides has led to a well-deserved level of excitement due to possible applications as “in-plane” all-oxide nanoelectronics. Here we expand the range of possibilities to the realm of “out-of-plane” nanoelectronics by examining such all-oxide heterostructures as barriers in tunnel junctions.

Regulating Self-Organizing Nanostructures Via External Mechanism, Jiangyu Li, Q. G. Du, Stephen Ducharme

Stephen Ducharme Publications

Self-organizing nanostructures are ubiquitous in both natural and synthetic materials. They are not only appealing scientifically, by revealing the intrinsic atomic and molecular interactions that might be difficult to detect otherwise, but may also hold the key for the development of novel functional structures and devices. For their technological potential to be fully realized, the size, morphology, and distribution of the self-organizing nanostructures must be regulated. In this paper, we investigate the principles under which the self-organizing nanostructures can be regulated via external mechanisms. Using nanomesa and nanowell formation in polyvinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene copolymer film as an example, we demonstrate …

Surface Magnetoelectric Effect In Ferromagnetic Metal Films, Chun-Gang Duan, Julian P. Velev, Renat F. Sabirianov, Ziqiang Zhu, Junhao Chu, Sitaram S. Jaswal, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

A surface magnetoelectric effect is revealed by density-functional calculations that are applied to ferromagnetic Fe(001), Ni(001), and Co(0001) films in the presence of an external electric field. The effect originates from spin-dependent screening of the electric field which leads to notable changes in the surface magnetization and the surface magnetocrystalline anisotropy. These results are of considerable interest in the area of electrically controlled magnetism and magnetoelectric phenomena.

Interface Effects In Spin-Polarized Metal/Insulator Layered Structures, Julian P. Velev, Peter A. Dowben, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal, Stephen J. Jenkins, A. N. Caruso

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

Recent advances in thin-film deposition techniques, such as molecular beam epitaxy and pulsed laser deposition, have allowed for the manufacture of heterostructures with nearly atomically abrupt interfaces. Although the bulk properties of the individual heterostructure components may be well-known, often the heterostructures exhibit novel and sometimes unexpected properties due to interface effects. At heterostructure interfaces, lattice structure, stoichiometry, interface electronic structure (bonding, interface states, etc.), and symmetry all conspire to produce behavior different from the bulk constituents. This review discusses why knowledge of the electronic structure and composition at the interfaces is pivotal to the understanding of the properties of …

Photoconductivity In Bifeo3 Thin Films, S. R. Basu, L. W. Martin, Y. H. Chu, M. Gajek, R. Ramesh, R. C. Rai, X. S. Xu, J. L. Musfeldt

Xiaoshan Xu Papers

The optical properties of epitaxial BiFeO₃ thin films have been characterized in the visible range. Variable temperature spectra show an absorption onset near 2.17 eV, a direct gap (2.667±0.005 eV at 300 K), and charge transfer excitations at higher energy. Additionally, we report photoconductivity in BiFeO₃ films under illumination from a 100 mW/cm² white light source. A direct correlation is observed between the magnitude of the photoconductivity and postgrowth cooling pressure. Dark conductivities increased by an order of magnitude when comparing films cooled in 760 and 0.1 Torr. Large increases in photoconductivity are observed in light.

Optical Band Gap Of Bifeo3 Grown By Molecular-Beam Epitaxy, J. F. Ihlefeld, N. J. Podraza, Z. K. Liu, R. C. Rai, X. Xu, T. Heeg, Y. B. Chen, J. Li, R. W. Collins, J. L. Musfeldt, X. Q. Pan, J. Schubert, R. Ramesh, D. G. Schlom

Xiaoshan Xu Papers

BiFeO₃ thin films have been deposited on (001) SrTiO₃ substrates by adsorption-controlled reactive molecular-beam epitaxy. For a given bismuth overpressure and oxygen activity, single-phase BiFeO₃ films can be grown over a range of deposition temperatures in accordance with thermodynamic calculations. Four-circle x-ray diffraction reveals phase-pure, epitaxial films with w rocking curve full width at half maximum values as narrow as 29 arc sec (0.008°). Multiple-angle spectroscopic ellipsometry reveals a direct optical band gap at 2.74 eV for stoichiometric as well as 5% bismuth-deficient single-phase BiFeO₃ films.

Charge Order, Dynamics, And Magnetostructural Transition In Multiferroic Lufe2o4, X. S. Xu, M. Angst, T. V. Brinzari, R. P. Hermann, J. L. Musfeldt, A. D. Christianson, D. Mandrus, B. C. Sales, S. Mcgill, J. -W. Kim, Z. Islam

Xiaoshan Xu Papers

We investigated the series of temperature and field-driven transitions in LuFe₂O₄ by optical and Mossbauer spectroscopies, magnetization, and x-ray scattering in order to understand the interplay between charge, structure, and magnetism in this multiferroic material. We demonstrate that charge fluctuation has an onset well below the charge ordering transition, supporting the ‘‘order by fluctuation’’ mechanism for the development of charge order superstructure. Bragg splitting and large magneto-optical contrast suggest a low-temperature monoclinic distortion that can be driven by both temperature and magnetic field.

Oligo(Vinylidene Fluoride) Langmuir-Blodgett Films Studied By Spectroscopic, Rafal Korlacki, J. Travis Johnston, Jihee Kim, Stephen Ducharme, Daniel W. Thompson, Vladimir M. Fridkin, Zhongxin Ge, James M. Takacs

Stephen Ducharme Publications

Thin films of amphiphilic vinylidene fluoride oligomers prepared by Langmuir–Blodgett deposition on silicone substrates were investigated by comparing experimental and theoretical mid-infrared (IR) spectra. The experimental spectra were obtained using infrared spectroscopic ellipsometry. Theoretical spectra were calculated using density functional theory. Excellent correspondence of major IR bands in both data sets shows that the molecular backbone is oriented with the long axis normal to the substrate plane. This is in contrast to poly vinylidene fluoride[1] LB films, in which the polymer chains are parallel to the substrate.

Reversal Of Spin Polarization In Fe/Gaas (001) Driven By Resonant Surface States: First-Principles Calculations, Athanasios N. Chantis, Kirill D. Belashchenko, D. L. Smith, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal, Mark Van Schilfgaarde, R. C. Albers

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

A minority-spin resonant state at the Fe/GaAs(001) interface is predicted to reverse the spin polarization with the voltage bias of electrons transmitted across this interface. Using a Green's function approach within the local spin-density approximation, we calculate the spin-dependent current in a Fe/GaAs/Cu tunnel junction as a function of the applied bias voltage. We find a change in sign of the spin polarization of tunneling electrons with bias voltage due to the interface minority-spin resonance. This result explains recent experimental data on spin injection in Fe/GaAs contacts and on tunneling magnetoresistance in Fe/GaAs/Fe magnetic tunnel junctions.

Bias Voltage Dependence Of Tunneling Anisotropic Magnetoresistance In Magnetic Tunnel Junctions With Mgo And Al2O3 Tunnel Barriers, Li Gao, Xin Jiang, See-Hun Yang, John D. Burton, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal, Stuart S. P. Parkin

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

Tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance (TAMR) is observed in tunnel junctions with transition metal electrodes as the moments are rotated from in-plane to out-of-plane in sufficiently large magnetic fields that the moments are nearly parallel to one another. A complex angular dependence of the tunneling resistance is found with twofold and fourfold components that vary strongly with bias voltage. Distinctly different TAMR behaviors are obtained for devices formed with highly textured crystalline MgO(001) and amorphous Al₂O₃ tunnel barriers. A tight-binding model shows that a fourfold angular dependence can be explained by the presence of an interface resonant state that …

Effect Of Tip Resonances On Tunnelling Anisotropic Magnetoresistance In Ferromagnetic Break Junctions: A First-Principles Study, John D. Burton, Renat F. Sabirianov, Julian P. Velev, O. N. Mryasov, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal

Materials Research Science and Engineering Center: Faculty Publications

First-principles calculations of electron tunneling transport in nanoscale Ni and Co break-junctions reveal strong dependence of the conductance on the magnetization direction, an effect known as tunneling anisotropic magnetoresistance TAMR. An important aspect of this phenomenon stems from resonant states localized in the electrodes near the junction break. The energy and broadening of these states is strongly affected by the magnetization orientation due to spin-orbit coupling, causing TAMR to be sensitive to bias voltage on a scale of a few millivolts. Our results bear a resemblance to recent experimental data and suggest that TAMR driven by resonant states is a …

Defect-Mediated Properties Of Magnetic Tunnel Junctions, Julian P. Velev, Mikhail Ye. Zhuravlev, Kirill D. Belashchenko, Sitaram S. Jaswal, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal, T. Katayama, S. Yuasa

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

Defects play an important role in the properties of metal oxides which are currently used as barrier layers in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). We study the effect of O vacancies on the interlayer exchange coupling (IEC) and tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) in Fe–MgO–Fe tunnel junctions. Measurements of IEC in fully epitaxial Fe–MgO–Fe(001) tunnel junctions show IEC is antiferromagnetic (AFM) for small MgO thickness but changes sign and then vanishes for large barrier thickness. First-principles calculations based on density functional theory demonstrate that the presence of neutral O vacancies (F-centers) in the MgO barrier can explain this behavior. Resonant tunneling …

Interface Effects In Spin-Dependent Tunneling, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal, Kirill D. Belashchenko, Julian P. Velev, Sitaram S. Jaswal, Mark Van Schilfgaarde, Ivan I. Oleynik, Derek A. Stewart

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

In the past few years the phenomenon of spin dependent tunneling (SDT) in magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) has aroused enormous interest and has developed into a vigorous field of research. The large tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) observed in MTJs garnered much attention due to possible application in random access memories and magnetic field sensors. This led to a number of fundamental questions regarding the phenomenon of SDT. One such question is the role of interfaces in MTJs and their effect on the spin polarization of the tunneling current and TMR. In this paper we consider different models which suggest that the …

Ferroelectric Properties Of Langmuir-Blodgett Copolymer Films At The Nanoscale, A. Tolstousov, R. V. Gaynutdinov, R. Tadros-Morgane, Herbert Kliem, Stephen Ducharme, Vladimir M. Fridkin

Stephen Ducharme Publications

Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) films are well known structures prepared as a result of successive transfer of monolayers (ML) from the gas-liquid interface onto solid substrates. One impressive possibility of LB method is the opportunity to vary the thickness of the film to an accuracy of one transfer, which could coincide with one ML. The ferroelectric properties of a copolymer of vinylidene fluoride and trifluorethylene P[VDF-TrFE] prepared by LB deposition are investigated in the region of a few monolayers.

Magnetic Enhancement In Cobalt-Manganese Alloy Clusters, Shuangye Yin, Ramiro Moro, Xiaoshan Xu, Walter A. De Heer

Xiaoshan Xu Papers

Magnetic moments of Co_NMn_M and Co_NV_M clusters (N ≤ 60; M ≤ N/3) are measured in molecular beams using the Stern-Gerlach deflection method. Surprisingly, the per atom average moments of Co_NMn_M clusters are found to increase with Mn concentration, in contrast to bulk CoMn. The enhancement with Mn doping is found to be independent of cluster size and composition in the size range studied. Meanwhile, Co_NV_M clusters show reduction of average moments with increasing V doping, consistent with what is expected in bulk CoV. The results are …

Atomic Motion In Ferromagnetic Break Junctions: Comment And Response, S.-F. Shi, David C. Ralph, Andrei Sokolov, Chunjuan Zhang, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal, Jody G. Redepenning, Bernard Doudin

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

Authors’ response

In their comment, Shi and Ralph emphasize that conductance of Ni point contacts produced by an electro-migration technique can occasionally exhibit two-level fluctuations (TLF), mimicking the discrete steps in the conductance of the point contacts as a function of the applied magnetic-field direction. They explain the nature of these steps in terms of atomic motion rather than intrinsic electronic effect. We emphasize in this reply that our results, obtained on a different magnetic material synthesized by a different method, do not show a

Atomic And Electronic Structure Of Cofeb/Mgo Interface From First Principles, John D. Burton, Sitaram S. Jaswal, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal, O. G. Heinonen

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

First-principles calculations of the atomic and electronic structure of crystalline CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) are performed to understand the effect of B on spin-dependent transport in these junctions. The authors find that it is energetically favorable for B atoms to reside at the crystalline CoFeB/MgO interface rather than remain in the bulk of the crystalline CoFeB electrode. The presence of B at the interfaces is detrimental to tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) because it significantly suppresses the majority-channel conductance through states of symmetry. Preventing B segregation to the interfaces during annealing should result in an enhanced TMR in CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB MTJs.

Interlayer Exchange Coupling In Fe/Mgo/Fe Magnetic Tunnel Junctions, T. Katayama, S. Yuasa, Julian P. Velev, M. Ye. Zhuravlev, Sitaram S. Jaswal, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

Interlayer exchange coupling (IEC) in fully epitaxial Fe/MgO/Fe (001) tunnel junctions with wedge-shaped MgO layers is measured at room temperature from the unidirectional shift of the Kerr hysteresis loop. It is found that the IEC is antiferromagnetic for small MgO thickness but changes sign at 0.8 nm. Ab initio calculations of IEC show that this behavior can be explained by the presence of O vacancies in the MgO barrier which makes IEC antiferromagnetic for thin barriers. With increasing MgO thickness the resonance contribution to IEC from localized defect states is reduced resulting in the ferromagnetic coupling typical for perfect MgO …

Magnetic Moment Softening And Domain Wall Resistance In Ni Nanowires, John D. Burton, Renat F. Sabirianov, Sitaram S. Jaswal, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal, O. N. Mryasov

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

We perform ab initio calculations of the electronic structure and conductance of atomic-size Ni nanowires with domain walls only a few atomic lattice constants wide. We show that the hybridization between noncollinear spin states leads to a reduction of the magnetic moments in the domain wall resulting in the enhancement of the domain wall resistance. Experimental studies of the magnetic moment softening may be feasible with modern techniques such as scanning tunneling spectroscopy.

Tunneling Across A Ferroelectric, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal, Hermann Kohlstedt

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

Spontaneously polarized materials through which electrons pass by tunneling may be used in novel electronic devices and may reveal new basic physics at the nanometer scale.

Predicted Magnetoelectric Effect In Fe/Batio3 Multilayers: Ferroelectric Control Of Magnetism, Chun-Gang Duan, Sitaram S. Jaswal, Evgeny Y. Tsymbal

Evgeny Tsymbal Publications

An unexplored physical mechanism which produces a magnetoelectric effect in ferroelectricferromagnetic multilayers is studied based on first-principles calculations. Its origin is a change in bonding at the ferroelectric-ferromagnet interface that alters the interface magnetization when the electric polarization reverses. Using Fe/BaTiO₃ multilayers as a representative model, we show a sizable difference in magnetic moments of Fe and Ti atoms at the two interfaces dissimilar by the orientation of the local electric dipole moments. The predicted magnetoelectric effect opens a new direction to control magnetic properties of thin-film layered structures by electric fields.

The Effects Of Humidity On The Dielectric Response In Ferroelectric Polymer Films Made By Langmuir-Blodgett Deposition, Kristin L. Kraemer, Alexander V. Sorokin, Christina M. Othon, Stephen Ducharme, Vladimir M. Fridkin

Stephen Ducharme Publications

No abstract provided.

Measurement Of Magnetic Moments Of Free BiNMnM Clusters, Shuangye Yin, Xiaoshan Xu, Ramiro Moro, Walt A. De Heer

Xiaoshan Xu Papers

Magnetic properties of free Bi_NMn_M clusters (N=2–20, M=0–7) are determined from Stern-Gerlach deflections at low temperature (46.5 K). Pure bismuth clusters with odd number of atoms exhibit paramagnetic deflections. The addition of manganese atoms produces a ferromagnetic response which is strongly size dependent. Certain combinations have very large magnetic moments such as Bi₅Mn₃, Bi₉ Mn₄, Bi₁₀Mn₅, and Bi₁₂Mn₆.

Specification Of Jecp/Holz, An Interactive Computer Program For Simulation Of Holz Pattern, Xingzhong Li

Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience: Faculty Publications

1. Purpose of the program 2. Graphic user interface and program design 3. Formulas for calculating the positions of the HOLZ lines 4. System requirement 5. Installation and user instruction 6. How to contact the author 7. References

1. Purpose of the program JECP/HOLZ (Li, 2005a) is one computer program in the Java Electron Crystallography Package (JECP), which is designed and written by Dr. XingZhong Li. The package is developed for quantitative electron diffraction and image processing purpose, JECP/HOLZ is an interactive program for simulation of the higher-order Laue zone (HOLZ) lines using kinematical approximation and a first-order dynamic correction. …