Emergent nanoscale superparamagnetism at oxide interfaces

Y. Anahory (), L. Embon, C. J. Li, S. Banerjee, A. Meltzer, H. R. Naren, A. Yakovenko, J. Cuppens, Y. Myasoedov, M. L. Rappaport, M. E. Huber, K. Michaeli, T. Venkatesan, Ariando () and E. Zeldov ()
Additional contact information
Y. Anahory: Weizmann Institute of Science
L. Embon: Weizmann Institute of Science
C. J. Li: NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore
S. Banerjee: Weizmann Institute of Science
A. Meltzer: Weizmann Institute of Science
H. R. Naren: Weizmann Institute of Science
A. Yakovenko: Weizmann Institute of Science
J. Cuppens: Weizmann Institute of Science
Y. Myasoedov: Weizmann Institute of Science
M. L. Rappaport: Weizmann Institute of Science
M. E. Huber: University of Colorado Denver
K. Michaeli: Weizmann Institute of Science
T. Venkatesan: NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore
Ariando: NUS Graduate School for Integrative Sciences and Engineering, National University of Singapore
E. Zeldov: Weizmann Institute of Science

Nature Communications, 2016, vol. 7, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Atomically sharp oxide heterostructures exhibit a range of novel physical phenomena that are absent in the parent compounds. A prominent example is the appearance of highly conducting and superconducting states at the interface between LaAlO3 and SrTiO3. Here we report an emergent phenomenon at the LaMnO3/SrTiO3 interface where an antiferromagnetic Mott insulator abruptly transforms into a nanoscale inhomogeneous magnetic state. Upon increasing the thickness of LaMnO3, our scanning nanoSQUID-on-tip microscopy shows spontaneous formation of isolated magnetic nanoislands, which display thermally activated moment reversals in response to an in-plane magnetic field. The observed superparamagnetic state manifests the emergence of thermodynamic electronic phase separation in which metallic ferromagnetic islands nucleate in an insulating antiferromagnetic matrix. We derive a model that captures the sharp onset and the thickness dependence of the magnetization. Our model suggests that a nearby superparamagnetic–ferromagnetic transition can be gate tuned, holding potential for applications in magnetic storage and spintronics.

Date: 2016
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DOI: 10.1038/ncomms12566

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