Discipline: Physics
Subcategory: Nanoscience
Shabree Anthony - University of the Virgin Islands
Co-Author(s): Sunxiang Huang, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida; Durga Khadka, University of Miami, Coral Gables, Florida
Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) is a magnetic interaction between neighboring atomic spins due to broken inversion symmetry and spin-orbit coupling. It becomes increasingly important in the studies of novel spin textures and the development of new spintronics devices. A large DMI can be realized in asymmetric magnetic multilayer thin films such as Pt/Co/Ir and is the key to host an exotic spin texture called a magnetic skyrmion. However, the manipulation of DMI under external stimulus remains largely unexplored. Therefore, the purpose of this work was to study the voltage gating effects on DMI in thin films using ion liquid, N-trimethyl-propylammonium bis(trifluoromethanesulfonyl)imide. Magnetron sputtering first synthesized multilayer thin films which have large DMI. The samples were spin coated with photoresist, followed by selective UV exposure with a photomask and developing in solution. Ion beam milling was then used to dry etch the patterned samples to realize micrometer size Hall bar devices with gating electrodes. The Hall bar devices are able to measure magnetic properties (i.e., magnetic hysteresis) and DMI under a 2D magnetic field. Lastly, the gating voltage was applied to study the effect of gating on magnetic hysteresis loops and/or DMI. Our results show variegated hysteresis loops of each sample, indicating different shifts with magnetic field. These findings reveal that the magnetic properties of all three samples were substantially affected in response to the ionic liquid gating. Further intense investigations are needed to address the ion liquid gating on DMI. Nonetheless, our results reveal favorable outcomes of future quantitative investigations of the strength of DMI about ion liquid gating.
Not SubmittedFunder Acknowledgement(s): This study was supported by the Leadership Alliance.
Faculty Advisor: Sunxiang Huang, sxhuang@miami.edu
Role: I performed the methods and analyzed the data.