Weinan Lin

Evolution of magnetic bubble domains in manganite films

We report a thickness-dependent evolution of magnetic domains from long stripe-like to bubble-like entities in La1−xSrxMnO3 (x ∼ 0.3) (LSMO) films grown on LaAlO3 substrates. By using 2-D fast Fourier transformation of magnetic force microscopy images and power spectral density function, we accurately determine the domain width in LSMO films with a wide range of thickness (50–325 nm). We find that the domain size scales with the Kittel’s square root law [C. Kittel, Phys. Rev. 70, 965 (1946).] only when reduced film thicknesses are used, which suggests the critical role of substrate-film interaction in domain formation.

Anomalous exchange bias at collinear/noncollinear spin interface

We report on the interfacial magnetic coupling in manganite bilayers of collinear ferromagnetic La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 and noncollinear multiferroic TbMnO3. Exchange bias is observed at the Néel temperature of TbMnO3 (~41 K) due to the onset of long-range antiferromagnetic ordering in the Mn spin sublattice. Interestingly, an anomalous plateau of exchange bias emerges at the ordering temperature of Tb spins (~10 K), and we ascribe this unique feature to the strong coupling between Tb and Mn spin sublattices in TbMnO3, which in turn influences the magnetic coupling across the interface. On the other hand, the enhancement of coercivity in La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/TbMnO3 shows monotonous temperature dependence. Our results illustrate a strong interfacial magnetic interaction at the La0.7Sr0.3MnO3/TbMnO3 interface, highlighting the roles of competing spin orders, magnetic frustration, and coupling between multiple spin sublattices in artificial collinear/noncollinear spin heterostructures.

Exchange coupling and coercivity enhancement in cuprate/manganite bilayers

We report on the magnetic properties of cuprate/manganite bilayers composed of antiferromagnetic (AFM) La2CuO4 and ferromagnetic La0.70Sr0.30MnO3. The temperature dependent magnetization data indicate an interfacial spin-glass state. Furthermore, the bilayer exhibits significant enhancement of coercivity compared to the La0.70Sr0.30MnO3 single layer and reaches 705 Oe at 5 K. The dependence of coercivity on the AFM layer thickness indicates that the enhancement cannot be explained by the interfacial charge diffusion. Our results suggest that the exchange coupling between Mn and Cu spins and the magnetic frustration at the La2CuO4/La0.70Sr0.30MnO3 interface must be considered to harness the properties of cuprate/manganite heterostructures.

Tunable photovoltaic effect and solar cell performance of self-doped perovskite SrTiO3

We report on the tunable photovoltaic effect of self-doped single-crystal SrTiO3 (STO), a prototypical perovskite-structured complex oxide, and evaluate its performance in Schottky junction solar cells. The photovaltaic characteristics of vacuum-reduced STO single crystals are dictated by a thin surface layer with electrons donated by oxygen vacancies. Under UV illumination, a photovoltage of 1.1 V is observed in the as-received STO single crystal, while the sample reduced at 750 °C presents the highest incident photon to carrier conversion efficiency. Furthermore, in the STO/Pt Schottky junction, a power conversion efficiency of 0.88% was achieved under standard AM 1.5 illumination at room temperature. This work establishes STO as a high-mobility photovoltaic semiconductor with potential of integration in self-powered oxide electronics.

Effects of electrode material and configuration on the characteristics of planar resistive switching devices

We report that electrode engineering, particularly tailoring the metal work function, measurement configuration and geometric shape, has significant effects on the bipolar resistive switching (RS) in lateral memory devices based on self-doped SrTiO3 (STO) single crystals. Metals with different work functions (Ti and Pt) and their combinations are used to control the junction transport (either ohmic or Schottky-like). We find that the electric bias is effective in manipulating the concentration of oxygen vacancies at the metal/STO interface, influencing the RS characteristics. Furthermore, we show that the geometric shapes of electrodes (e.g., rectangular, circular, or triangular) affect the electric field distribution at the metal/oxide interface, thus plays an important role in RS. These systematic results suggest that electrode engineering should be deemed as a powerful approach toward controlling and improving the characteristics of RS memories.

Domain-related origin of magnetic relaxation in compressively strained manganite thin films

Magnetic relaxation is ubiquitous in magnetic materials, and elucidation of the underlying mechanisms is important for achieving reliable device operations. Here, we systematically investigate the magnetic relaxation in compressively strained La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 thin films. Upon the removal of external magnetic field, the slow time-dependent increase of in-plane magnetization is correlated with the break-up of magnetic domains and the emergence of additional domain walls, whereas a reduction of magnetization for the initial short period dominates the magnetic relaxation at lower temperatures in thinner films. These relaxation effects underline the importance of domain dynamics in the properties of magnetic thin films.

Anisotropic magnetoresistance and weak spin-orbital coupling in doped ZnO thin films

Both out-of-plane and in-plane anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) of Cu-doped ZnO thin films with different crystalline orientations are studied. Comparative data of angular dependent AMR suggest that the out-of-plane AMR comes from the geometric effect, while the in-plane AMR can be attributed to the field-dependent path-length effect. Moreover, the small magnitude of AMR and the negligible magnetocrystalline anisotropy suggest that the spin-orbit coupling in Cu-doped ZnO is relatively weak.

Influence of Oxygen Pressure and Aging on LaAlO3 Films Grown by Pulsed Laser Deposition on SrTiO3 Substrates

The crystal structures of LaAlO3 films grown by pulsed laser deposition on SrTiO3 substrates at oxygen pressure of 10−3 millibars or 10−5 millibars, where kinetics of ablated species hardly depend on oxygen background pressure, are compared. Our results show that the interface between LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 is sharper when the oxygen pressure is lower. Over time, the formation of various crystalline phases is observed while the crystalline thickness of the LaAlO3 layer remains unchanged. X-ray scattering as well as atomic force microscopy measurements indicate three-dimensional growth of such phases, which appear to be fed from an amorphous capping layer present in as-grown samples.

Asymmetric electroresistance of cluster glass state in manganites

We report the electrostatic modulation of transport in strained Pr0.65(Ca0.75Sr0.25)0.35MnO3 thin films grown on SrTiO3 by gating with ionic liquid in electric double layer transistors (EDLT). In such manganite films with strong phase separation, a cluster glass magnetic state emerges at low temperatures with a spin freezing temperature of about 99 K, which is accompanied by the reentrant insulating state with high resistance below 30 K. In the EDLT, we observe bipolar and asymmetric modulation of the channel resistance, as well as an enhanced electroresistance up to 200% at positive gate bias. Our results provide insights on the carrier-density-dependent correlated electron physics of cluster glass systems.

Engineering magnetic domains in manganite thin films by laser interference

We report on the laser interference (LI) aided conversion from maze-like to stripe-like magnetic domains in La1−xSrxMnO3 (x ∼ 0.3) thin films grown on LaAlO3 substrates. This conversion is attributed to the periodic, local, and rapid heating by LI which facilitates the reconfiguration of magnetic domains without damaging the film structures. By annealing the sample, the stripe-like domains can be converted back to the maze-like state. Our result represents a non-magnetic scheme for reversible magnetic domain engineering in ferromagnetic thin films.