Spin-current probe for phase transition in an insulator

Zhiyong Qiu, Jia Li, Dazhi Hou, Elke Arenholz, Alpha T. N'Diaye, Ali Tan, Ken Ichi Uchida, Koji Sato, Satoshi Okamoto, Yaroslav Tserkovnyak, Z. Q. Qiu, Eiji Saitoh

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

159 Scopus citations

Abstract

Spin fluctuation and transition have always been one of the central topics of magnetism and condensed matter science. Experimentally, the spin fluctuation is found transcribed onto scattering intensity in the neutron-scattering process, which is represented by dynamical magnetic susceptibility and maximized at phase transitions. Importantly, a neutron carries spin without electric charge, and therefore it can bring spin into a sample without being disturbed by electric energy. However, large facilities such as a nuclear reactor are necessary. Here we show that spin pumping, frequently used in nanoscale spintronic devices, provides a desktop microprobe for spin transition; spin current is a flux of spin without an electric charge and its transport reflects spin excitation. We demonstrate detection of antiferromagnetic transition in ultra-thin CoO films via frequency-dependent spin-current transmission measurements, which provides a versatile probe for phase transition in an electric manner in minute devices.

Original languageEnglish
Article number12670
JournalNature Communications
Volume7
DOIs
StatePublished - Aug 30 2016

Funding

This work was supported by JST-ERATO 'Spin Quantum Rectification', JST-PRESTO 'Phase Interfaces for Highly Efficient Energy Utilization', Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research on Innovative Area, 'Nano Spin Conversion Science' (26103005 and 26103006), Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (S) (25220910), Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (A) (25247056 and 15H02012), Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research (26600067), Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up (25889003), and World Premier International Research Center Initiative (WPI), all from MEXT, Japan, the ImPACT program of the Council for Science, Technology and Innovation, Cabinet Office, Japan, and NEC corporation. Financial support from National Science Foundation DMR-1504568, Future Materials Discovery Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (No. 2015M3D1A1070467), and Science Research Center Program through the National Research Foundation of Korea (No. 2015R1A5A1009962) is gratefully acknowledged (J. L., A. T., Z. Q.). The Advanced Light Source is supported by the US Department of Energy under contract number DE-AC02-05CH11231 (E.A., A.N.). The research by S.O. is supported by the US Department of Energy, Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division. Y.T is supported by U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Basic Energy Sciences under Award No. DE-SC0012190.

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