Comprehensive Electrical Control of Metamagnetic Transition of a Quasi-2D Antiferromagnet by In Situ Anisotropic Strain

Han Zhang; Lin Hao; Junyi Yang; Josh Mutch; Zhaoyu Liu; Qing Huang; Kyle Noordhoek; Andrew F. May; Jiun Haw Chu; Jong Woo Kim; Philip J. Ryan; Haidong Zhou; Jian Liu

doi:10.1002/adma.202002451

Comprehensive Electrical Control of Metamagnetic Transition of a Quasi-2D Antiferromagnet by In Situ Anisotropic Strain

Han Zhang, Lin Hao, Junyi Yang, Josh Mutch, Zhaoyu Liu, Qing Huang, Kyle Noordhoek, Andrew F. May, Jiun Haw Chu, Jong Woo Kim, Philip J. Ryan, Haidong Zhou, Jian Liu

Correlated Electron Materials

Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review

11 Scopus citations

Abstract

Effective nonmagnetic control of the spin structure is at the forefront of the study for functional quantum materials. This study demonstrates that, by applying an anisotropic strain up to only 0.05%, the metamagnetic transition field of spin–orbit-coupled Mott insulator Sr₂IrO₄ can be in situ modulated by almost 300%. Simultaneous measurements of resonant X-ray scattering and transport reveal that this drastic response originates from the complete strain-tuning of the transition between the spin-flop and spin-flip limits, and is always accompanied by large elastoconductance and magnetoconductance. This enables electrically controllable and electronically detectable metamagnetic switching, despite the antiferromagnetic insulating state. The obtained strain-magnetic field phase diagram reveals that C₄-symmetry-breaking anisotropy is introduced by strain via pseudospin-lattice coupling, directly demonstrating the pseudo-Jahn–Teller effect of spin–orbit-coupled complex oxides. The extracted coupling strength is much weaker than the superexchange interactions, yet crucial for the spontaneous symmetry-breaking, affording the remarkably efficient strain-control.

Original language	English
Article number	2002451
Journal	Advanced Materials
Volume	32
Issue number	36
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1002/adma.202002451
State	Published - Sep 1 2020

Funding

J.L. and H.Z. acknowledge support from the Organized Research Unit Program at the University of Tennessee. J.Y acknowledges funding from the State of Tennessee and Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) through their support of the Center for Materials Processing. Sample synthesis (A.F.M.) was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division. The in situ strain control and measurement setup were partially supported by AFOSR DURIP award FA9550-19-1-0180; the Scholarly Activity and Research Incentive Fund (SARIF) at the University of Tennessee and as part of Programmable Quantum Materials, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences (BES), under award DE-SC0019443. Z.L. and J.H.C. acknowledge the support of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Transport measurement was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under grant no. DE-SC0020254 and the Electromagnetic Property (EMP) Lab Core Facility at the University of Tennessee. This research used resources of the Advanced Photon Source, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility operated for the DOE Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory under contract no. DE-AC02-06CH11357. The authors thank David Mandrus, Mark P. M. Dean, and Cristian Batista for valuable discussions; Randal R. McMillan and Bennett S. Waddell for providing technical support in making strain devices and sample holders. J.L. and H.Z. acknowledge support from the Organized Research Unit Program at the University of Tennessee. J.Y acknowledges funding from the State of Tennessee and Tennessee Higher Education Commission (THEC) through their support of the Center for Materials Processing. Sample synthesis (A.F.M.) was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division. The in situ strain control and measurement setup were partially supported by AFOSR DURIP award FA9550‐19‐1‐0180; the Scholarly Activity and Research Incentive Fund (SARIF) at the University of Tennessee and as part of Programmable Quantum Materials, an Energy Frontier Research Center funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences (BES), under award DE‐SC0019443. Z.L. and J.H.C. acknowledge the support of the David and Lucile Packard Foundation. Transport measurement was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy under grant no. DE‐SC0020254 and the Electromagnetic Property (EMP) Lab Core Facility at the University of Tennessee. This research used resources of the Advanced Photon Source, a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Science User Facility operated for the DOE Office of Science by Argonne National Laboratory under contract no. DE‐AC02‐06CH11357. The authors thank David Mandrus, Mark P. M. Dean, and Cristian Batista for valuable discussions; Randal R. McMillan and Bennett S. Waddell for providing technical support in making strain devices and sample holders.

Funders	Funder number
DOE Office of Science
Scholarly Activity and Research Incentive Fund
State of Tennessee and Tennessee Higher Education Commission
THEC
David and Lucile Packard Foundation	DE‐SC0020254
U.S. Department of Energy	DE‐SC0019443
Air Force Office of Scientific Research	FA9550‐19‐1‐0180
Office of Science
Basic Energy Sciences
Argonne National Laboratory	DE‐AC02‐06CH11357
University of Tennessee
Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering
Tennessee Higher Education Commission

Keywords

Mott insulator
iridates
metamagnetism
pseudo Jahn–Teller effect
spin–orbit coupling

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10.1002/adma.202002451

Cite this

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title = "Comprehensive Electrical Control of Metamagnetic Transition of a Quasi-2D Antiferromagnet by In Situ Anisotropic Strain",

abstract = "Effective nonmagnetic control of the spin structure is at the forefront of the study for functional quantum materials. This study demonstrates that, by applying an anisotropic strain up to only 0.05%, the metamagnetic transition field of spin–orbit-coupled Mott insulator Sr2IrO4 can be in situ modulated by almost 300%. Simultaneous measurements of resonant X-ray scattering and transport reveal that this drastic response originates from the complete strain-tuning of the transition between the spin-flop and spin-flip limits, and is always accompanied by large elastoconductance and magnetoconductance. This enables electrically controllable and electronically detectable metamagnetic switching, despite the antiferromagnetic insulating state. The obtained strain-magnetic field phase diagram reveals that C4-symmetry-breaking anisotropy is introduced by strain via pseudospin-lattice coupling, directly demonstrating the pseudo-Jahn–Teller effect of spin–orbit-coupled complex oxides. The extracted coupling strength is much weaker than the superexchange interactions, yet crucial for the spontaneous symmetry-breaking, affording the remarkably efficient strain-control.",

keywords = "Mott insulator, iridates, metamagnetism, pseudo Jahn–Teller effect, spin–orbit coupling",

author = "Han Zhang and Lin Hao and Junyi Yang and Josh Mutch and Zhaoyu Liu and Qing Huang and Kyle Noordhoek and May, {Andrew F.} and Chu, {Jiun Haw} and Kim, {Jong Woo} and Ryan, {Philip J.} and Haidong Zhou and Jian Liu",

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AU - Liu, Zhaoyu

AU - Huang, Qing

AU - Noordhoek, Kyle

AU - May, Andrew F.

AU - Chu, Jiun Haw

AU - Kim, Jong Woo

AU - Ryan, Philip J.

AU - Zhou, Haidong

AU - Liu, Jian

PY - 2020/9/1

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N2 - Effective nonmagnetic control of the spin structure is at the forefront of the study for functional quantum materials. This study demonstrates that, by applying an anisotropic strain up to only 0.05%, the metamagnetic transition field of spin–orbit-coupled Mott insulator Sr2IrO4 can be in situ modulated by almost 300%. Simultaneous measurements of resonant X-ray scattering and transport reveal that this drastic response originates from the complete strain-tuning of the transition between the spin-flop and spin-flip limits, and is always accompanied by large elastoconductance and magnetoconductance. This enables electrically controllable and electronically detectable metamagnetic switching, despite the antiferromagnetic insulating state. The obtained strain-magnetic field phase diagram reveals that C4-symmetry-breaking anisotropy is introduced by strain via pseudospin-lattice coupling, directly demonstrating the pseudo-Jahn–Teller effect of spin–orbit-coupled complex oxides. The extracted coupling strength is much weaker than the superexchange interactions, yet crucial for the spontaneous symmetry-breaking, affording the remarkably efficient strain-control.

AB - Effective nonmagnetic control of the spin structure is at the forefront of the study for functional quantum materials. This study demonstrates that, by applying an anisotropic strain up to only 0.05%, the metamagnetic transition field of spin–orbit-coupled Mott insulator Sr2IrO4 can be in situ modulated by almost 300%. Simultaneous measurements of resonant X-ray scattering and transport reveal that this drastic response originates from the complete strain-tuning of the transition between the spin-flop and spin-flip limits, and is always accompanied by large elastoconductance and magnetoconductance. This enables electrically controllable and electronically detectable metamagnetic switching, despite the antiferromagnetic insulating state. The obtained strain-magnetic field phase diagram reveals that C4-symmetry-breaking anisotropy is introduced by strain via pseudospin-lattice coupling, directly demonstrating the pseudo-Jahn–Teller effect of spin–orbit-coupled complex oxides. The extracted coupling strength is much weaker than the superexchange interactions, yet crucial for the spontaneous symmetry-breaking, affording the remarkably efficient strain-control.

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Comprehensive Electrical Control of Metamagnetic Transition of a Quasi-2D Antiferromagnet by In Situ Anisotropic Strain

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