Dazhi Hou

Longitudinal spin Seebeck effect free from the proximity Nernst effect.

This Letter provides evidence for intrinsic longitudinal spin Seebeck effects (LSSEs) that are free from the anomalous Nernst effect (ANE) caused by an extrinsic proximity effect. We report the observation of LSSEs in Au/Y(3)Fe(5)O(12) (YIG) and Pt/Cu/YIG systems, showing that the LSSE appears even when the mechanism of the proximity ANE is clearly removed. In the conventional Pt/YIG structure, furthermore, we separate the LSSE from the ANE by comparing the voltages in different magnetization and temperature-gradient configurations; the ANE contamination was found to be negligibly small even in the Pt/YIG structure.

Spin-current probe for phase transition in an insulator

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.

Interface induced inverse spin Hall effect in bismuth/permalloy bilayer

Inverse spin Hall effect has been investigated in bismuth(Bi)/permalloy(Py) bilayer films by using the spin pumping at room temperature. From the ferromagnetic-resonance-spectrum linewidth data, Bi is proved to be a good spin sink in our structure. We measured inverse spin Hall voltage and conductance of the Bi/Py bilayer and found that the inverse spin Hall current, Ic, decreases with increasing the Bi thickness, which is in contrast to the former understanding in similar bilayer systems, e.g., Pt/Py. We constructed a model to explain the thickness dependence of Ic quantitatively, in which spin transport modulation near Bi/Py interface is considered.

Influence of interface condition on spin-Seebeck effects

The longitudinal spin-Seebeck effect (LSSE) has been investigated for Pt/yttrium iron garnet (YIG) bilayer systems. The magnitude of the voltage induced by the LSSE is found to be sensitive to the Pt/YIG interface condition. We observed large LSSE voltage in a Pt/YIG system with a better crystalline interface, while the voltage decays steeply when an amorphous layer is introduced at the interface artificially.

Experimental investigation of spin Hall effect in indium tin oxide thin film

The inverse spin Hall effect (ISHE) induced by spin pumping in indium tin oxide (ITO) films has been investigated quantitatively. We measured ferromagnetic resonance and electromotive force spectra with changing the ITO thickness in ITO/permalloy bilayer films. The intensity of the observed electromotive force changes systematically with the ITO film thickness, which is consistent with the prediction of ISHE. By using an equivalent circuit model, the spin Hall angle and diffusion length of the ITO film are estimated.

All-oxide spin Seebeck effects

We report the observation of longitudinal spin Seebeck effects (LSSEs) in an all-oxide bilayer system comprising an IrO2 film and an Y3Fe5O12 film. Spin currents, which are generated by a temperature gradient across the IrO2/Y3Fe5O12 interface, were detected as a voltage via the inverse spin Hall effect in the conductive IrO2 layer. This voltage is proportional to the magnitude of the temperature gradient; its magnetic field dependence is consistent with the characteristics of LSSEs. This demonstration may lead to the realization of low-cost, stable, transparent spin-current-driven thermoelectric devices.

Antiferromagnetic anisotropy determination by spin Hall magnetoresistance

An electric method for measuring magnetic anisotropy in antiferromagnetic insulators (AFIs) is proposed. When a metallic film with strong spin-orbit interactions, e.g., platinum (Pt), is deposited on an AFI, its resistance should be affected by the direction of the AFI N eel vector due to the spin Hall magnetoresistance (SMR). Accordingly, the direction of the AFI N eel vector, which is affected by both the external magnetic field and the magnetic anisotropy, is reflected in resistance of Pt. The magnetic field angle dependence of the resistance of Pt on AFI is calculated by consider- ing the SMR, which indicates that the antiferromagnetic anisotropy can be obtained experimentally by monitoring the Pt resistance in strong magnetic fields. Calculations are performed for realistic systems such as Pt/Cr2O3, Pt/NiO, and Pt/CoO.

Observation of temperature-gradient-induced magnetization

Applying magnetic fields has been the method of choice to magnetize non-magnetic materials, but they are difficult to focus. The magneto-electric effect and voltage-induced magnetization generate magnetization by applied electric fields, but only in special compounds or heterostructures. Here we demonstrate that a simple metal such as gold can be magnetized by a temperature gradient or magnetic resonance when in contact with a magnetic insulator by observing an anomalous Hall-like effect, which directly proves the breakdown of time-reversal symmetry. Such Hall measurements give experimental access to the spectral spin Hall conductance of the host metal, which is closely related to other spin caloritronics phenomena such as the spin Nernst effect and serves as a reference for theoretical calculation.2 ERATO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Sanbancho, Tokyo 102-0076, Japan 3 Institute for Materials Research, Tohoku University, Sendai 980-8577, Japan 4 PRESTO, Japan Science and Technology Agency, Saitama 332-0012, Japan 5 Kavli Institute of NanoScience, Delft University of Technology, 2628 CJ Delft, The Netherlands 6 Advanced Science Research Center, Japan Atomic Energy Agency, Tokai 319-1195, Japan ?Electronic address: dazhi.hou@imr.tohoku.ac.jp

Spin colossal magnetoresistance in an antiferromagnetic insulator

Colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) refers to a large change in electrical conductivity induced by a magnetic field in the vicinity of a metal–insulator transition and has inspired extensive studies for decades1,2. Here we demonstrate an analogous spin effect near the Néel temperature, TN = 296 K, of the antiferromagnetic insulator Cr2O3. Using a yttrium iron garnet YIG/Cr2O3/Pt trilayer, we injected a spin current from the YIG into the Cr2O3 layer and collected, via the inverse spin Hall effect, the spin signal transmitted into the heavy metal Pt. We observed a two orders of magnitude difference in the transmitted spin current within 14 K of the Néel temperature. This transition between spin conducting and non-conducting states was also modulated by a magnetic field in isothermal conditions. This effect, which we term spin colossal magnetoresistance (SCMR), has the potential to simplify the design of fundamental spintronics components, for instance, by enabling the realization of spin-current switches or spin-current-based memories.In the antiferromagnetic insulator Cr2O3 a strong modulation of the spin conduction with magnetic field near the Néel temperature is measured. By analogy with its charge counterpart, this effect is termed spin colossal magnetoresistance.

Spin-current injection and detection in κ-(BEDT-TTF)2Cu[N(CN)2]Br

Spin-current injection into an organic semiconductor