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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 163 records · Page 9
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2021

Curvature-mediated spin textures in magnetic multi-layered nanotubes

The scientific and technological exploration of artificially designed three-dimensional magnetic nanostructures opens the path to exciting novel physical phenomena, originating from the increased complexity in spin textures, topology, and frustration in three dimensions. Theory predicts that the equilibrium magnetic ground state of two-dimensional systems which reflects the competition between symmetric (Heisenberg) and antisymmetric (Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI)) exchange interaction is significantly modified on curved surfaces when the radius of local curvature becomes comparable to fundamental magnetic length scales. Here, we present an experimental study of the spin texture in an 8 nm thin magnetic multilayer with growth-induced in-plane anisotropy and DMI deposited onto the curved surface of a 1.8 {\mu}m long non-magnetic carbon nanowire with a 67 nm radius. Using magnetic soft x-ray tomography the three-dimensional spin configuration in this nanotube was retrieved with about 30nm spatial resolution. The transition between two vortex configurations on the two ends of the nanotube with opposite circulation occurs through a domain wall that is aligned at an inclined angle relative to the wire axis. Three-dimensional micromagnetic simulations support the experimental observations and represent a visualization of the curvature-mediated DMI. They also allow a quantitative estimate of the DMI value for the magnetic multilayered nanotube.

Josten, Elisabeth↗
DOE OSTI2020

Ferromagnetic resonance in single vertices and 2D lattices macro-dipoles of elongated nanoelements: measurements and simulations

We report broadband ferromagnetic resonance measurements of the in-plane magnetic field response of three- and four-fold symmetric vertices formed by non-contacting permalloy nano-ellipses together with extended lattices constructed from them. Complementing the experimental data with simulations, we are able to show that, as far as the most intense FMR responses are concerned, the spectra of vertices and lattices can largely be interpreted in terms of a superposition of the underlying hysteretic responses of the individual ellipses, as elemental building blocks of the system. Here, this property suggest that it is possible to understand the orientation of the individual magnetic dipole moments in a dipole network in terms of dynamic measurements alone, thereby offering a powerful tool to analyze the alignment statistics in frustrated systems that are exposed to various magnetic histories.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Antiferromagnetic Parametric Resonance Driven by Voltage-Controlled Magnetic Anisotropy

Voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA) is a low-energy alternative to manipulate the ferromagnetic state, which has been recently also considered in antiferromagnets (AFMs). Here, we theoretically demonstrate that VCMA can be used to excite linear and parametric resonant modes in easy-axis AFMs with perpendicular anisotropy, thus opening the way for an efficient electrical control of the Néel vector and for the detection of high-frequency dynamics. Our work leads to two key results: (i) VCMA parametric pumping experiences the so-called “exchange enhancement” of the coupling efficiency and, thus, is 1–2 orders of magnitude more efficient than microwave magnetic fields or spin-orbit torques, and (ii) it also allows for zero-field parametric resonance, which cannot be achieved by other parametric pumping mechanisms in AFMs with an out-of-plane easy axis. Therefore, we demonstrate that VCMA parametric pumping is the most promising method for coherent excitation and manipulation of AFM order in perpendicular easy-axis AFMs.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2021

Magnetic skyrmion diode: Unidirectional skyrmion motion via symmetry breaking of potential energy barriers

In this work, we realize a magnetic skyrmion diode operated by a unidirectional skyrmion transport that flows in only one direction, which is highly significant for information processing in spintronic and nanoelectronic devices. We easily control the skyrmion transport by engineering asymmetric shapes of geometric structures. Here, we present a simple method to describe the underlying mechanism behind the unidirectional skyrmion transport by characterizing the topography of potential energy surfaces from a purely geometric perspective. Our approach enables a deeper physical insight into skyrmion transport manipulation and efficient design of skyrmion-based devices in geometric structures.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2024

Enhancement of magnetic domain wall velocity via resonant dissipation of standing wave modes of domain wall structure with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

The dynamic behaviors of magnetic domain walls have significant implications for developing advanced spintronic devices. In this study, we investigate the intriguing resonance phenomenon within the magnetic domain wall structure, focusing on the dissipation mechanism and its impact on domain wall dynamic motion. By applying a static external magnetic field, we observe a remarkable amplification of domain wall velocity through the resonant excitations of the flexure modes. The resonance of the flexure mode exerts an indirect influence on the domain wall velocity through energy dissipation, leading to a significant enhancement from the predictions of the one-dimensional Walker model. We establish a robust model platform rooted in energy dissipation allows comprehensive understanding the dramatic enhancement of domain wall velocity observed during width-directional flexure mode resonance. By directly quantifying energy dissipation, our approach provides highly effective and accurate estimates of domain wall velocity, surpassing previous methods that focus solely on the instantaneous dynamics of the domain wall structure. These findings offer crucial insights into the fundamental mechanisms governing the dynamics of domain walls and other magnetic systems, such as magnetic skyrmions, bubbles, and magnetic vortices, paving the way for development and optimization of next-generation spintronic devices.

Collective dynamics↗
DOE OSTI2024

Coupling-dependent antiferromagnetic-ferromagnetic ordering in a pinwheel artificial spin ice

Nanopatterned magnetic thin films offer a platform for exploration of tailored magnetic properties such as emergent long-range order. A prominent example is artificial spin ice (ASI), where an arrangement of nanoscale magnetic elements, acting as macrospins, interact via their dipolar fields. In this study, we discuss the transition from antiferromagnetic (AFM) to ferromagnetic (FM) long-range order in a square lattice ASI as the magnetic elements are gradually rotated through 45⁢° to a “pinwheel” configuration. The AFM-FM transition is observed experimentally using synchrotron radiation x-ray spectromicroscopy and occurs for a certain rotation angle of the nanomagnets, dependent on the dipolar coupling strength determined by the separation of the magnets in the lattice. Large-scale magnetic dipole simulations show that the point-dipole approximation fails to capture the correct AFM-FM transition angle. However, excellent agreement with experimental data is obtained using a dumbbell-dipole model, which better reflects the actual dipolar fields of the magnets. This model also explains the coupling dependence of the transition angle, another feature not captured by the point-dipole model. Our findings resolve a discrepancy between measurement and theory in previous work on “pinwheel” ASIs and establish the coupling dependence of the AFM-FM transition. The revised dipole model, with a more accurate representation of the stray field, offers more precise control of magnetic order in artificial spin systems.

Artificial spin ice↗
DOE OSTI2021

Noncollinear Ground State from a Four-Spin Chiral Exchange in a Tetrahedral Magnet

We propose a quartic chiral term m x m y m z ∇ • m for the energy density of a cubic ferromagnet with broken parity symmetry (point group T d ). We demonstrate that this interaction causes a phase transition from a collinear ferromagnetic state to a noncollinear magnetic cone ground state provided its strength exceeds the geometric mean of magnetic exchange and cubic anisotropy. The corresponding noncollinear ground state may also be additionally stabilized by an external magnetic field pointing along certain crystallographic directions. Here, the four-spin chiral exchange does also manifest itself in peculiar magnon spectra and favors spin waves with the wave vector that is perpendicular to the average magnetization direction.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2026

Emulating 2D Materials with Magnons

Spin waves (magnons) in two-dimensional (2D) materials have received increasing interest due to their unique states and potential for tunability. However, many interesting features of these systems, including Dirac points and topological states, occur at high frequencies, where experimental probes are limited. Here, we study a crystal formed by patterning a hexagonal array of holes in a perpendicularly magnetized thin film. Through simulation, we find that the magnonic band structure imitates that of graphene, but additionally has some kagomelike character and includes a few flat bands. Surprisingly, its nature can be understood using a nine-band tight-binding Hamiltonian. This clear analogy to 2D materials enables band-gap engineering in 2D, topological magnons along 1D phase boundaries, and spectrally isolated modes at 0D point defects. Interestingly, the 1D phase boundaries allow access to the valley degree of freedom through a magnonic analog of the quantum valley Hall insulator. These approaches can be extended to other magnonic systems, but are potentially more general due to the simplicity of the model, which resembles existing results from electron, phonon, photon, and cold-atom systems. This finding brings the physics of spin waves in 2D materials to more experimentally accessible scales, augments it, and outlines a few principles for controlling magnonic states.

Ferrimagnets↗
DOE OSTI2022

Unveiling the Emergent Traits of Chiral Spin Textures in Magnetic Multilayers

Abstract Magnetic skyrmions are topologically wound nanoscale textures of spins whose ambient stability and electrical manipulation in multilayer films have led to an explosion of research activities. While past efforts focused predominantly on isolated skyrmions, recently ensembles of chiral spin textures, consisting of skyrmions and magnetic stripes, are shown to possess rich interactions with potential for device applications. However, several fundamental aspects of chiral spin texture phenomenology remain to be elucidated, including their domain wall (DW) structure, thermodynamic stability, and morphological transitions. Here the evolution of these textural characteristics are unveiled on a tunable multilayer platform—wherein chiral interactions governing spin texture energetics can be widely varied—using a combination of full‐field electron and soft X‐ray microscopies with numerical simulations. With increasing chiral interactions, the emergence of Néel helicity, followed by a marked reduction in domain compressibility, and finally a transformation in the skyrmion formation mechanism are demonstrated. Together with an analytical model, these experiments establish a comprehensive microscopic framework for investigating and tailoring chiral spin texture character in multilayer films.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Switching current reduction in magnetoresistive random access memories

We present an approach for minimizing the critical current for the magnetization switching in magnetic tunnel junctions by optimizing the spatial distribution of the current density. We show that such a minimization is possible because critical current is determined by the condition of making one of the magnetization eigenstates grow in time. The excitation of the eigenstates is enhanced when the spatial distributions of the eigenstates and current density overlap. Critical current can be viewed as a functional of the current density spatial distribution and it can be minimized by optimizing this distribution. Such an optimization results in a major reduction of the critical current and increase of the switching efficiency, viz. the ratio between the energy barrier and critical current. The minimized critical current increases approximately linearly with the magnetic tunnel junction size, which is much slower than critical current for the case of a uniform current density. The optimized efficiency can be approximately a constant with respect to the magnetic tunnel junction size, which is much higher than the efficiency for the uniform current density. Additional optimization can be achieved by spatially modulating the material parameters, e.g., the saturation magnetization. The presented approach and obtained scaling of the critical current and efficiency offers opportunities for the magnetic tunnel junction optimization.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Advances in relaxation and memory effects of magnetic nanoparticles for biomedical applications

Functionalized magnetic nanoparticles are pivotal in magnetic resonance imaging, computed tomography, controlled drug delivery, and hyperthermia treatments due to their exceptional magnetic relaxation and functional properties. The magnetic core composition and structure significantly affects the complex magnetic properties of these nanoparticles necessitating a thorough examination of magnetism fundamentals related to these systems. One important aspect is the ability of magnetic nanoparticles to retain previous magnetic state configurations known as memory effect, primarily governed by domain structure and magnetic anisotropy. Despite its relevance to advanced applications, comprehensive studies on magnetic relaxation and memory effects remain limited. Here, the present review aims to bridge this gap by investigating relaxation mechanisms, synthesis strategies, and applications, fostering further innovation. It investigates the memory effects and their dependence on particle composition and morphology along with key synthesis techniques for large-scale production in industrial adoption. Structured into focused sections on magnetic properties and their influence on biomedical and technological applications, this review provides essential insights into memory effects, magneto-relaxation mechanisms, influencing factors, and both experimental and theoretical methodologies. It also delves into computational modelling and AI-driven design, which are revolutionizing the prediction, discovery, and optimization of materials with tailored properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2025

Low-Field Regime of Magnon Transport in PLD-Grown YIG Films

The diffusive propagation of magnons in the archetypal magnetic insulator yttrium iron garnet (YIG) is being actively explored for low-power and low-loss data communication. However, operation under external magnetic fields reduces the magnon diffusion length and attenuates the voltage amplitude at measurement terminals of magnonic devices. Here, we explore the low-field and field-free regime of diffusive magnon transport in YIG films, demonstrating that the field-induced suppression of magnon diffusion length can be fully inhibited only at the zero-field limit. Even a modest field of 10 mT attenuates the nonlocal spin voltage by ~20% in an ~1 μm long transport channel. We further identify the often overlooked in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy as the dominant factor governing magnon transport in the low-field regime. Using Stoner-Wohlfarth macrospin simulations, we quantify the anisotropy parameters and reveal a 10-fold enhancement at low temperatures, a key finding for field-free operation of magnonic devices under cryogenic conditions.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2021

Ferromagnetic Resonance Modes in the Exchange-Dominated Limit in Cylinders of Finite Length

We analyze the magnetic mode structure of axially magnetized finite-length nanoscopic cylinders in a regime where the exchange interaction dominates, along with simulations of the mode frequencies of the ferrimagnet yttrium iron garnet. For the bulk modes, we find that the frequencies can be represented by an expression given by Herring and Kittel by using wavevector components obtained by fitting the mode patterns emerging from these simulations. In addition to the axial, radial, and azimuthal modes that are present in an infinite cylinder, we find localized “cap modes” that are “trapped” at the top and bottom cylinder faces by the inhomogeneous dipole field emerging from the ends. Semiquantitative explanations are given for some of the modes, in terms of a one-dimensional Schrodinger equation, which is valid in the exchange-dominant case. The assignment of the azimuthal-mode number is carefully discussed, and the frequency splitting of a few pairs of nearly degenerate modes is determined through the beat pattern emerging from them.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗
DOE OSTI2022

Memristive Effects in Nanopatterned Permalloy Kagomé Array

Here, we study memristive effects in kagomé nanopatterned permalloy. We observe that at low frequencies a thermistor effect is present, a phenomenon arising due to the lithography and absent in similar experiments for thin films. However, we also show via an independent anisotropic magnetoresistive study that a small hysteresis accounting for 1% of the effect is not attributable to a thermistive effect. Such an effect is also confirmed by a careful subtraction scheme between nearby thermal hysteresis. In the millihertz regime, an effective model is provided to describe the experimental results for the thermistor, showing that there should be a crossover from the millihertz to the gigahertz, from a thermistor to a memristive effect for nanopatterned permalloy.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Magnonic analog of the Edelstein effect in antiferromagnetic insulators

Here we investigate the nonequilibrium spin polarization due to a temperature gradient in antiferromagnetic insulators, which is the magnonic analog of the inverse spin-galvanic effect of electrons. We derive a linear-response theory of a temperature-gradient-induced spin polarization for collinear and noncollinear antiferromagnets, which comprises both extrinsic and intrinsic contributions. We apply our theory to several noncentrosymmetric antiferromagnetic insulators, i.e., to a one-dimensional antiferromagnetic spin chain, a single layer of kagome noncollinear antiferromagnet, e.g., KFe 3 ( OH ) 6 ( SO 4 ) 2 , and a noncollinear breathing pyrochlore antiferromagnet, e.g., LiGaCr 4 O 8 . The shapes of our numerically evaluated response tensors agree with those implied by the magnetic symmetry. Furthermore, assuming a realistic temperature gradient of 10 K/mm , we find two-dimensional spin densities of up to ~ 10 6 ℏ / cm 2 and three-dimensional bulk spin densities of up to ~ 10 14 ℏ / cm 3 , encouraging an experimental detection

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Thermal fluctuations in the Landau-Lifshitz-Bloch model

A formulation for thermal noise in the stochastic form of the Landau-Lifshitz-Bloch equation used for modeling the magnetization dynamics at elevated temperatures is presented here. The diffusion coefficients for thermal fluctuations are obtained via the Fokker-Plank equation using the mean-field approximation of the field in defining the free energy. The presented model leads to a mean magnetization consistent with the equilibrium magnetization for small and large particles. The distribution of the magnetization magnitude is of the Maxwell-Boltzmann type. The presented model was tested by studying the equilibrium magnetization in macrospin particles at high temperatures. The model is appealing for multiscale modeling, such as modeling heat assisted magnetic recording systems and all-optical magnetization reversal.

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS, SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND↗