Perpendicular magnetic tunnel junction and its application in magnetic random access memory

Recent progresses in magnetic tunnel junctions with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy(PMA) are reviewed and summarized. At first, the concept and source of perpendicular magnetic anisotropy(PMA) are introduced. Next, a historical overview of PMA materials as magnetic electrodes, such as the RE–TM alloys TbFeCo and GdFeCo, novel tetragonal manganese alloys Mn–Ga, L10-ordered(Co, Fe)/Pt alloy, multilayer film [Co, Fe, CoFe/Pt, Pd, Ni, Au]N, and ultra-thin magnetic metal/oxidized barrier is offered. The other part of the article focuses on the optimization and fabrication of CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB p-MTJs, which is thought to have high potential to meet the main demands for non-volatile magnetic random access memory.     

Magnetic quantum oscillations in a monolayer graphene under a perpendicular magnetic field

The de Haas-van Alphen(dHvA) oscillations of electronic magnetization in a monolayer graphene with structureinduced spin-orbit interaction(SOI) are studied.The results show that the dHvA oscillating centre in this system deviates from the well known(zero) value in a conventional two-dimensional electron gas.The inclusion of SOI will change the well-defined sawtooth pattern of magnetic quantum oscillations and result in a beating pattern.In addition,the SOI effects on Hall conductance and magnetic susceptibility are also discussed.     

Specific Heat of a Two-Layer Magnetic Superlattice

The specific heats of both a two-layer ferromagnetic superlattice and a two-layer ferrimagnetic one are studied. It is found that the spin quantum numbers, the interlayer and intralayer exchange couplings, the anisotropy, the applied magnetic field, and the temperature all affect the specific heat of these superlattices. For both the ferromagnetic and ferrimagnetic superlattices, the specific heat decreases with increasing the spin quantum number, the absolute value of interlayer exchange coupling, intralayer exchange coupling, and anisotropy, while it increases with increasing temperature at low temperatures. When an applied magnetic field is enhanced, the specific heat decreases in the twolayer ferromagnetic superlattice, while it is almost unchanged in the two-layer ferrimagnetic superlattice at low field range at low temperatures.     

0.7 Structure and zero bias anomaly in ballistic hole quantum wires

We study the anomalous conductance plateau around G=0.7(2e2/h) and the zero bias anomaly in ballistic hole quantum wires with respect to in-plane magnetic fields applied parallel B parallel and perpendicular B perpendicular to the quantum wire. As seen in electron quantum wires, the magnetic fields shift the 0.7 structure down to G=0.5(2e2/h) and simultaneously quench the zero bias anomaly. However, these effects are strongly dependent on the orientation of the magnetic field, owing to the highly anisotropic effective Landé g-factor g* in hole quantum wires. Our results highlight the fundamental role that spin plays in both the 0.7 structure and zero bias anomaly.     

Dynamical Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction in KCuF3

The spin dynamics of the prototypical quasi-one-dimensional antiferromagnetic Heisenberg spin S=1/2 chain KCuF3 is investigated by electron spin resonance spectroscopy. Our analysis shows that the peculiarities of the spin dynamics require a new dynamical form of the antisymmetric anisotropic spin-spin interaction. This dynamical Dzyaloshinsky-Moriya interaction is related to strong oscillations of the bridging fluorine ions perpendicular to the crystallographic c axis. This new mechanism allows us to resolve consistently the controversies in observation of the magnetic and structural properties of this orbitally ordered perovskite compound.     

Long-range ferromagnetism of Mn12 acetate single-molecule magnets under a transverse magnetic field

We use neutron diffraction to probe the magnetization components of a crystal of Mn12 single-molecule magnets. Each of these molecules behaves, at low temperatures, as a nanomagnet with spin S = 10 and strong anisotropy along the crystallographic c axis. The application of a magnetic field H(perpendicular) perpendicular to c induces quantum tunneling between opposite spin orientations, enabling the spins to attain thermal equilibrium. For T approximately < 0.9(1) K, this equilibrium state shows spontaneous magnetization, indicating the onset of ferromagnetism. These long-range magnetic correlations nearly disappear for mu0H(perpendicular) approximately > 5.5 T, possibly suggesting the existence of a quantum critical point.     

Exchange coupling and helical spin order in the triangular lattice antiferromagnet CuCrO2 using first principles

The magnetic and electronic properties of the geometrically frustrated triangular antiferromagnet CuCrO2 are investigated by first principles through density functional theory calculations within the generalized gradient approxi- mations （GGA）＋U scheme. The spin exchange interactions up to the third nearest neighbours in the ab plane as well as the coupling between adjacent layers are calculated to examine the magnetism and spin frustration. It is found that CuCrO2 has a natural two-dimensional characteristic of the magnetic interaction. Using Monte Carlo simulation, we obtain the Neel temperature to be 29.9 K, which accords well with the experimental value of 24 K. Based on non- collinear magnetic structure calculations, we verify that the incommensurate spiral-spin structure with （110） spiral plane is believable for the magnetic ground state, which is consistent with the experimental observations. Due to intra-layer geometric spin frustration, parallel helical-spin chains arise along the a, b, or a＋ b directions, each with a screw-rotation angle of about I20°. Our calculations of the density of states show that the spin frustration plays an important role in the change of d-p hybridization, while the spin-orbit coupling has a very limited influence on the electronic structure.     

Spin current and its heat effect in a multichannel quantum wire with Rashba spin-orbit coupling

Using the perturbation method,we theoretically study the spin current and its heat effect in a multichannel quantum wire with Rashba spin-orbit coupling.The heat generated by the spin current is calculated.With the increase of the width of the quantum wire,the spin current and the heat generated both exhibit period oscillations with equal amplitudes.When the quantum-channel number is doubled,the oscillation periods of the spin current and of the heat generated both decrease by a factor of 2.For the spin current j s,xy,the amplitude increases with the decrease of the quantum channel;while the amplitude of the spin current j s,yx remains the same.Therefore we conclude that the effect of the quantum-channel number on the spin current j s,xy is greater than that on the spin current j s,yx.The strength of the Rashba spin-orbit coupling is tunable by the gate voltage,and the gate voltage can be varied experimentally,which implies a new method of detecting the spin current.In addition,we can control the amplitude and the oscillation period of the spin current by controlling the number of the quantum channels.All these characteristics of the spin current will be very important for detecting and controlling the spin current,and especially for designing new spintronic devices in the future.     

Spin fractionalization of an even number of electrons in a quantum Dot

We find that Kondo resonant conductance can occur in a quantum dot in the Coulomb blockade regime with an even number of electrons N. The contacts are attached to the dot in a pillar configuration, and a magnetic field B( perpendicular) along the axis is applied. B( perpendicular) lifts the spin degeneracy of the dot energies. Usually, this prevents the system from developing the Kondo effect. Tuning B( perpendicular) to the value B(*) where levels with different total spin cross restores both the degeneracy and the Kondo effect. We analyze a dot charged with N = 2 electrons. Coupling to the contacts is antiferromagnetic due to a spin selection rule and, in the Kondo state, the charge is unchanged while the total spin on the dot is S = 1/2.     

Effects of N/Z on Spin Distribution of Evaporation Residue Cross Section as a Probe of Nuclear Dissipation

The spin distribution of the evaporation residue cross section of nuclei ^194pb, ^200Pb, ^206Pb, and ^200 Os are calculated via a Langevin equation coupled with a statistical decay model. It is shown that with increasing the neutronto-proton ratio （N/Z） of the system, the sensitivity of the significantly. Moreover, for ^200Os this spin distribution is no spin distribution to the nuclear dissipation is decreased longer sensitive to the nuclear dissipation. These results suggest that to obtain a more accurate pre-saddle viscosity coefficient through the measurement of the evaporation residue spin distribution, it is best to yield those compound systems with low N/Z.     

An electron spin resonance study of Eu doping effect in La4/3Srs/3Mn2O7 single crystal

The effect of Eu3＋ ion doping in the La sites of single-crystal La4/3Srs/3Mn2O7 was investigated. Electron spin resonance （ESR） was applied to La4/3Sr5/3Mn2O7 and （Lao.8Euo.2）4/3Sr5/3Mn2O7 single crystals. A phase separation and phase transitions were observed from the ESR spectra data. Between 350 K and 300 K, both paramagnetic resonance （PMR） and anisotropic ferromagnetic resonance （FMR） lines were observed in the ab plane and the c axis direction, suggesting a coexistence of the paramagnetic （PM） phase and the ferromagnetic （FM） phase. The magnetization measurement reveals a spin-glass-like behavior in single-crystal （Lao.8Euo.2）4/3 Sr5/3Mn2O7 below the temperature of spin freezing Tf （- 29.5 K）.     

Theory of phonon-modulated electron spin relaxation time based on the projection reduction method

This paper introduces a new method for a formula for electron spin relaxation time of a system of electrons interacting with phonons through phonon-modulated spin-orbit coupling using the projection-reduction method. The phonon absorption and emission processes as well as the photon absorption and emission processes in all electron transition processes can be explained in an organized manner, and the result can be represented in a diagram that can provide intuition for the quantum dynamics of electrons in a solid. The temperature （T） dependence of electron spin relaxation times （T1） in silicon is T1 ∝ T-1.07 at low temperatures and T1 ∝ T-3.3 at high temperatures for acoustic deformation constant Pad = 1.4 × 10^7 eV and optical deformation constant Pod = 4.0 × 10^17 eV/m. This means that electrons are scattered by the acoustic deformation phonons at low temperatures and optical deformation phonons at high temperatures, respectively. The magnetic field （B） dependence of the relaxation times is T1 ∝ B-2.7 at 100 K and T1 ∝ B-2.3 at 150 K, which nearly agree with the result of Yafet, T1 ∝ B-3.0- B -2.5.     

Observation of magnetic ripple and nanowidth domains in a layered ferromagnet

We investigated ferromagnetic domain structures on nanometer to micrometer scale for single crystals of a layered ferromagnet, La(2-2x)Sr(1+2x)Mn2O7 (0.32 < or = x < or = 0.40), as functions of x and temperature by means of Lorentz electron microscopy. We have succeeded in observing the evolution of magnetic ripple structure, dynamically, related to a spin reorientation transition where the magnetization direction switches between parallel and perpendicular to the layers. Our high-resolution magnetic domain imaging revealed that the ripple state is characterized by the evolution of magnetic nanowidth domains.     

The spin dynamics of the random transverse Ising chain with a double-Gaussian disorder

The dynamical properties of one-dimensional random transverse Ising model （RTIM） with a double-Gaussian disorder is investigated by the recursion method. Based on the first twelve recurrences derived analytically, the spin autocorrelation function （SAF） and associated spectral density at high temperature were obtained numerically. Our results indicate that when the standard deviation σg （or OrB） of the exchange couplings Ji （or the random transverse fields Bi） is small, no long-time tail appears in the SAE The spin system undergoes a crossover from a central-peak behavior to a collectivemode behavior, which is the dynamical characteristics of RTIM with the bimodal disorder. However, when σJ （or σB） is large enough, the system exhibits similar dynamics behaviors to those of the RTIM with the Gaussian disorder, i.e., the system exhibits an enhanced central-peak behavior for large σJ or a disordered behavior for large σB. In this instance, SAFs exhibit a similar long-time tail, i.e., C（t） ~ t ^-2 for large t. Similar properties are obtained when Ji （or Bi） satisfy the double-exponential distribution or the double-uniform distribution. Besides, when both the standard deviations and the mean values of the exchange couplings are small, the effects of the Gaussian random bonds may drive the system undergo two crossovers from a triplet state to a doublet state, and then to a collective-mode state.     

Study of spin sum rules （and the strong coupling constant at large distances）

We present recent results from Jefferson Lab on sum rules related to the spin structure of the nucleon. We then discuss how the Bjorken sum rule with its connection to the Gerasimov-Drell-Hearn sum, allows us to conveniently define an effective coupling for the strong force at all distances.     

Relativistic symmetries of Deng Fan and Eckart potentials with Coulomb-like and Yukawa-like tensor interactions

Relativistic symmetries of the Dirac equation under spin and pseudo-spin symmetries are investigated and a combina- tion of Deng-Fan and Eckart potentials with Coulomb-like and Yukawa-like tensor interaction terms are considered. The energy equation is obtained by using the Nikiforov-Uvarov method and the corresponding wave functions are expressed in terms of the hypergeometric functions. The effects of the Coulomb and Yukawa tensor interactions are numerically discussed as well.     

Non-Markovianity of the Heisenberg XY spin environment with Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction

Using the effective non-Markovian measure proposed by Breuer et al. recently, we study the memory effect of a central qubit system coupled to a spin chain environment with Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction in a transverse field. It is discovered that the central qubit system presents different memory effects in different environment phases with the different oscillatory behaviors of the decoherence factor. Moreover, it is revealed that the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction has a prominent influence on the memory effect of a central qubit system via modifying the amplitude and period of the decoherence factor under certain conditions.     

The effect of k-cubic Dresselhaus spin–orbit coupling on the decay time of persistent spin helix states in semiconductor two-dimensional electron gases

We study the theoretical effect of k-cubic （i.e, cubic-in-momentum） Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling on the decay time of persistent spin helix states in semiconductor two-dimensional electron gases. We show that the decay time of persistent spin helix states may be suppressed substantially by k-cubic Dresselhaus spin-orbit coupling, and after taking the effect of k-cubic Dresselhaus spin-orbit interaction into account, the theoretical results obtained accord both qualitatively and quantitatively with other recent experimental results.     

Global entanglement in ground state of {Cu_3} single-molecular magnet with magnetic field

We investigate global entanglement in the ground state of single-molecular magnet Na9[Cu3Na3(H2O)9(α-AsW9O33)2]·26H2O with an external magnetic field. The concurrence, tangle, and measure function Q, which characterize the pairwise entanglement, 3-party entanglement and total entanglement, respectively, are calculated numerically at zero temperature. The results show that the magnitude and direction of the applied magnetic field play a significant role in the properties of three kinds of entanglement measures. We give a physical interpretation of the variation of the global entanglement with the magnetic field. Finally, the phase diagram of the global entanglement characterized by the critical magnetic fields is presented.     

Spin symmetric solutions of Dirac equation with PSschl-Teller potential

The approximate analytical solutions of the Dirac equation with the Poeschl-Teller potential is presented for arbitrary spin-orbit quantum number κ within the framework of the spin symmetry concept. The energy eigenvalues and the corresponding two Dirac spinors are obtained approximately in closed forms. The limiting cases of the energy eigenvalues and the two Dirac spinors are briefly discussed.