Topological insulators (TIs) are insulating materials that poses conducting surface states protected by time-reversal symmetry, wherein electron spins are locked to their momentum. This exclusive property offers novel prospects for creating next-generation electronic and spintronic devices, including TI-based quantum computation. Introducing ferromagnetic order into a TI system without compromising its distinctive quantum coherent properties could lead to a realization of a number of innovative physical phenomena. In particular, achieving robust long-range magnetic order at the TI surface at specific locations without introducing spin scattering centers could open up new potentials for devices. Here, we demonstrate topologically enhanced interface magnetism by coupling a ferromagnetic insulator (FMI) to a TI (Bi₂Se₃); this interfacial ferromagnetism persists up to room temperature, even though the FMI (EuS) is known to order ferromagnetically only at low temperatures (< 17 K). The induced magnetism at the interface resulting from the large spin-orbit interaction and spin-momentum locking property of the TI surface is found to greatly enhance the magnetic ordering (Curie) temperature of the TI/FMI bilayer system. Due to the short range nature of the ferromagnetic exchange interaction, the time-reversal symmetry is broken only near the surface of a TI, while leaving its bulk states unaffected [1]. The topological magneto-electric response originating in such an engineered TI could allow for an efficient manipulation of the magnetization dynamics by an electric field, providing an energy efficient topological control mechanism for future spin-based technologies. Work supported by U.S. DOE, Office of Science, BES.

[1]F. Katmis, V. Lauter, F. Nogueira, B. Assaf, M. Jamer, P. Wei, B. Satpati, J. Freeland, I. Eremi⁵, D. Heiman, P. Jarillo-Herrero, J. Moodera, “Achieving high-temperature ferromagnetic topological insulating phase by proximity coupling”, Nature 2016

The spin crossover Fe(II) complex (SCO) of the type [Fe(H₂B(pz)₂)₂(bipy)] has been previously shown to exhibit spin state transitions between its low spin (LS) and high spin (HS) states as a response to external stimulus such as electric fields, temperature changes, and light. It is well established that this SCO complex exhibits a crossover from its LS state to the HS state if the temperature is increased above approximately 150 K. It is demonstrated here that this spin crossover can be suppressed by mixing the SCO with strongly dipolar p-benzoquinonemonoimine zwitterion (PZI) molecules, so that unlike before, the LS state still prevails even at room temperature (RT). With the metastable LS state now locked in at RT, a spin state transition to the HS state can now be triggered optically by soft X-rays over a relatively short time of several minutes. This process is fully reversible, as cooling the mixture to 78 K has been shown to de-excite it back to its original LS state. Experiments were performed using X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements (XAS) with synchrotron radiation tuned to the Fe L₃ absorption edge as well as accompanying magnetic moment measurements taken by a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID). The effects of temperature, photon flux, and the stoichiometric ratio between SCO and PZI in the mixture were systematically studied, and the results will be presented here. This study provides a demonstration that the spin crossover transition temperature can be tailored to create a material that exists in a meta-stable LS state at RT wherein spin states can then be switched optically.

VO₂ is a thermochromic material, one class of “smart materials” that are receiving considerable interest due to a sharp semiconductor to metal (S-M) phase transition that occurs at a specific, material dependent temperature (T_c = 68˚C for VO₂). The S-M transition occurs as a result of a phase transition between a semiconducting monoclinic phase below T_c and a metallic tetragonal phase above T_c. While VO₂ has been widely utilized as a microbolometer material for IR detectors, current deposition processes used to fabricate thin film VO₂ (PLD, MBE, sputtering) are not adequate to realize complex device architectures. Use of ALD to deposit VO₂ thin films allows for uniform, low temperature coating of large area 3D substrates that could open the door to new applications.

Temperature dependent in-situ grazing incidence synchrotron XRD was utilized to probe lattice strain and structural reordering in both as-deposited (amorphous) and annealed (polycrystalline) ALD VO₂ thin films during the S-M transition. GIXRD allows us to selectively sample the bulk or the film-substrate interface of thin ALD films with excellent depth resolution, while the high flux provided by the synchrotron (10¹² photons/s) enables fast data collection. Initial results show that as-deposited ALD VO₂ films are polycrystalline at the VO₂-sapphire interface, while the bulk of the as-deposited VO₂ is amorphous. Annealing VO₂ on sapphire in an oxygen-rich environment forms a fiber-textured polycrystalline VO₂ film with a more pronounced S-M transition. We will discuss how substrate selection, ALD growth and processing conditions, and film thickness influence VO₂ morphology and/or structure and relate these materials properties to device data.

The authors wish to acknowledge Cornell University's CHESS synchrotron facilities for GIXRD work and The Office of Naval Research for support. Dr. Kozen acknowledges support by the ASEE-NRL postdoctoral fellows program.

The polar discontinuity at the interface between SrTiO₃ (STO) and LaCrO₃ (LCO) has been shown to produce a varying band alignment between the two materials with a built-in potential gradient.¹ We have recently shown that this built-in potential gradient can be harnessed to induce a polarization in STO-LCO superlattices through interface engineering.² This work demonstrated that by controlling interfacial termination between layers we can induce a built-in polarization in STO, with Ti cations displaced off-center in surrounding oxygen octahedra. To further study this system, we have synthesized a series of STO-LCO superlattices with varying interfacial and surface terminations for synchrotron standing-wave x-ray photoemission measurements.³ These measurements make use of Bragg diffraction from the superlattice to induce an x-ray standing wave that can be scanned across a single period of the superlattice. Through careful material design, we have achieved the strongest standing-wave effects to date, enabling angle-resolved photoemission measurements of electronic dispersion in both the STO and LCO layers of the material. Density functional theory models of the electronic structure of the superlattices are used to corroborate our experimental results with the expected behavior. Monochromated, aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy electron energy-loss spectroscopy (STEM-EELS) measurements also enable further studies into changes in electronic behavior at interfaces.

¹ S.A. Chambers, L. Qiao, T.C. Droubay, T.C. Kaspar, B.W. Arey, and P.V. Sushko, Phys. Rev. Lett. 107, 206802 (2011).

² R.B. Comes, S.R. Spurgeon, S.M. Heald, D.M. Kepaptsoglou, L. Jones, P.V. Ong, M.E. Bowden, Q.M. Ramasse, P.V. Sushko, and S.A. Chambers, Adv. Mater. Interfaces, (2016). DOI: 10.1002/admi.201500779

³ A.X. Gray, C. Papp, B. Balke, S.-H. Yang, M. Huijben, E. Rotenberg, A. Bostwick, S. Ueda, Y. Yamashita, K. Kobayashi, E.M. Gullikson, J.B. Kortright, F.M.F. de Groot, G. Rijnders, D.H.A. Blank, R. Ramesh, and C.S. Fadley, Phys. Rev. B 82, 205116 (2010).

Functional materials based on complex oxides in thin film form offer new and exciting strategies for meeting many of our outstanding energy challenges through systematic control of layer sequencing, strain, etc. However, the synthesis of such oxide films can be a major challenge even when utilizing reactive molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE), a powerful deposition technique that allows the construction of materials atomic plane by atomic plane. To understand the fundamental physics of oxide growth by reactive MBE, we present in situ surface x-ray diffraction results on the growth of SrTiO₃ and SrO-SrTiO₃ thin films on (001)-oriented SrTiO₃ substrates. For homoepitaxy, we compare sequential deposition (alternating Sr and Ti monolayer doses) with that of co-deposition of Sr and Ti, both in a background of oxygen pressure, and observe drastically different growth pathways due to the presence of a TiO₂ double layer. For heteroepitaxial growth of Ruddlesden-Popper SrO-SrTiO₃ films, we find that layers rearrange dynamically, resulting in layer sequences distinct from the shutter sequence. In general, the starting surface structure and composition, in combination with local thermodynamic considerations, strongly influence our ability to atomically construct new complex oxides.

III-N semiconductors have found application in a variety of technologies such as high power transistors, emitters, detectors, and solar-cells. The relatively high growth temperature of common III-N synthesis techniques has impeded further development and application of the materials due to challenges with miscibility gaps and strain related to thermal expansion mismatch with non-native substrates. To address these challenges, Plasma assisted atomic layer epitaxy (PA-ALE) offers a new approach to low temperature III-N growth and can be used to epitaxially grow InN by using alternative pulses of trimethylindium and nitrogen plasma [1]. Since growth using this technique is far from thermodynamic equilibrium, understanding how nitrogen plasma affects nucleation and growth kinetics is essential for development.

Real-time grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS) measurements at the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source were used to study the effect of variation in nitrogen plasma pulse conditions on PA-ALE of InN at 250 °C. Current results show the evolution of GISAXS characteristics such as the correlated peak (CP) length scale in the Yoneda Wing (YW) directly relates to the surface roughness, impurities, and electrical properties of the material. During the initial cycles of InN growth, the diffuse specular reflection broadens and CPs start to evolve along the YW with different correlated length scales. For the nitrogen plasma pulse time (t_p) of 15 seconds, the CPs have two different correlated length scales of 33.36 and 8.38 nm. With increasing t_p to ≥ 20s (the empirically optimal pulse length), a YW with only one CP evolves and the longest correlated length scale of 11.22 nm is for T_p = 25s. The correlated length scale of this single CP decreases to 10.75 nm for t_p = 30s. Additionally at t_p = 25s, the growth rate is largest (0.035nm/cycle – consistent with previously reported self-limited growth [1]) with root mean square surface roughness and carbon impurity at or below AFM and XPS sensitivity limits, respectively. The nature of GISAXS CP correlated length scale directly relates to the material quality. GISAXS also shows that the N₂/Ar flow ratio significantly affect the nucleation and growth of InN. Based on various ex situ characterization methods, the quality of the PA-ALE grown films is similar or better than the material grown by conventional growth methods, for example, molecular beam epitaxy at higher temperature (>400 °C).

[1] Nepal et al., Cryst. Growth and Des. 13, 1485 (2013).

The high level of energy dissipation associated with the present semiconductor-based integrated-circuit technology limits the operating frequency of the devices. Therefore there is interest in new concepts that may solve this problem. One such concept that attracts considerable attention nowadays combines spins with electronics (spintronics). In principle, the application of spintronics should result in reducing power consumption of electronic devices and efficiency should be closer to the thermodynamic limit.

Two major issues complicate the use of spintronics; material problems and the inefficiency in producing spin-polarized current. Spintronics devices usually require the use of complicated structures of magnetic material layers and the need for permanent magnetic layers puts constrains on the miniaturization of these devices. In addition, high currents are required to produce highly polarized spin current which results in induced heating.

We present a new concept in which spin current is produced by using the spin selectivity in electron transport through chiral molecules, termed Chiral-Induced Spin Selectivity (CISS). The CISS effect allows realization of simple local and power efficient spintronics devices. Studying the CISS effect, we found that chiral molecules, especially helical ones, can serve as very efficient spin filters at room temperature, with no need for a permanent magnetic layer. Recently, by utilizing this effect we demonstrated a simple magnetless spin based magnetic memory. Moreover, we show that when chiral molecules are adsorbed on the surface of thin ferromagnetic film, they induce magnetization perpendicular to the surface, without the application of current or external magnetic field.

The CISS-based spintronics technology has the potential to overcome the limitations of other magnetic-based memory technologies and to facilitate the fabrication of inexpensive, high-density memory and other spintronics elements.