Kondo physics in non-local metallic spin transport devices

M-STAR: Magnetism second target advanced reflectometer at the Spallation Neutron Source

M-STAR is a next generation polarized neutron reflectometer with advanced capabilities. A new focusing guide concept is optimized for samples with dimensions down to a millimeter range. A proposed hybrid pulse-skipping chopper will enable experiments at constant geometry at one incident angle in a broad range of wavevector transfer Q up to 0.3 A^-1 for specular, off-specular, and GISANS measurements. M-STAR will empower nanoscience and spintronics studies routinely on small samples (∼2 × 2 mm²) and of atomic-scale thickness using versatile experimental conditions of magnetic and/or electric fields, light, and temperature applied in situ to novel complex device-like nanosystems with multiple buried interfaces. M-STAR will enable improved grazing incidence diffraction measurements, as a surface-sensitive depth-resolved probe of, e.g., the out-of-plane component of atomic magnetic moments in ferromagnetic, antiferromagnetic, and more complex structures as well as in-plane atomic-scale structures inaccessible with contemporary diffractometry and reflectometry. New horizons will be opened by the development of an option to probe near-surface dynamics with inelastic grazing incidence scattering in the time-of-flight mode. These novel options in combination with ideally matched parameters of the second target station will place M-STAR in the world's leading position for high resolution polarized reflectometry.

Emergent Multifunctional Magnetic Proximity in van der Waals Layered Heterostructures

Proximity effect, which is the coupling between distinct order parameters across interfaces of heterostructures, has attracted immense interest owing to the customizable multifunctionalities of diverse 3D materials. This facilitates various physical phenomena, such as spin order, charge transfer, spin torque, spin density wave, spin current, skyrmions, and Majorana fermions. These exotic physics play important roles for future spintronic applications. Nevertheless, several fundamental challenges remain for effective applications: unavoidable disorder and lattice mismatch limits in the growth process, short characteristic length of proximity, magnetic fluctuation in ultrathin films, and relatively weak spin-orbit coupling (SOC). Meanwhile, the extensive library of atomically thin, 2D van der Waals (vdW) layered materials, with unique characteristics such as strong SOC, magnetic anisotropy, and ultraclean surfaces, offers many opportunities to tailor versatile and more effective functionalities through proximity effects. Here, this paper focuses on magnetic proximity, i.e., proximitized magnetism and reviews the engineering of magnetism-related functionalities in 2D vdW layered heterostructures for next-generation electronic and spintronic devices. The essential factors of magnetism and interfacial engineering induced by magnetic layers are studied. The current limitations and future challenges associated with magnetic proximity-related physics phenomena in 2D heterostructures are further discussed.

Finite-Size Effect in Phonon-Induced Elliott-Yafet Spin Relaxation in Al

The Elliott-Yafet theory of spin relaxation in nonmagnetic metals predicts proportionality between spin and momentum relaxation times for scattering centers such as phonons. Here, we test this theory in Al nanowires over a very large thickness range (8.5-300 nm), finding that the Elliott-Yafet proportionality "constant" for phonon scattering in fact exhibits a large, unanticipated finite-size effect. Supported by analytical and numerical modeling, we explain this via strong phonon-induced spin relaxation at surfaces and interfaces, driven in particular by enhanced spin-orbit coupling.

Spatiotemporal characteristics of spin transport in compensated metals with electron-hole exchange interaction

We develop a theory describing spatiotemporal behavior of spin transport in two-band metals by postulating a spin-exchange interaction between electrons and holes. Starting with the semiclassical Boltzmann equation, we derive a system of coupled diffusion equations and solve them analytically under steady-state conditions. The solutions reveal two types of electron-hole coupled-spin transport modes: a dissipative mode and a nondissipative mode with an infinite spin diffusion length. The two modes are the manifestations of two types of spin coupling channels. Besides the exchange interaction, we incorporate into our derivation the relaxation caused by the spin-orbit interaction to show how it affects the spin transport characteristics of the two modes.

Scanning Thermal Microscopy and Ballistic Phonon Transport in Lateral Spin Valves

Using scanning thermal microscopy, we have mapped the spatial distribution of temperatures in an operating nanoscale device formed from a magnetic injector, an Ag connecting wire, and a magnetic detector. An analytical model explained the thermal diffusion over the measured temperature range (2-300 K) and injector-detector separation (400-3000 nm). The characteristic diffusion lengths of the Peltier and Joule heat differ remarkably below 60 K, a fact that can be explained by the onset of ballistic phonon heat transfer in the substrate.

Importance of spin current generation and detection by spin injection and the spin Hall effect for lateral spin valve performance

Lateral spin valves are attractive device geometries where functional spin currents can be generated and detected by various mechanisms, such as spin injection and the direct and the inverse spin Hall effect. To understand the mechanisms behind these effects better, as well as their potential for application in devices, we combine multiple mechanisms in multi-terminal Pt-Py-Cu lateral spin valves: we generate pure spin currents in the copper spin conduit both via the spin Hall effect in platinum and electric spin injection from permalloy and detect signals both via conventional non-local detection and via the inverse spin Hall effect in the same device at variable temperatures. Differences are observed, which we explain by the different spin injection and detection mechanisms, revealing their importance for the temperature dependence, which is not just governed by the spin transport in the conduit as previously claimed. By determining a different sensitivity of the observed effects on the interfaces, we highlight the importance of the exact current path for the device operation.

Tuning spin one channel to exotic orbital two-channel Kondo effect in ferrimagnetic composites of LaNiO3 and CoFe2O4

We report the tuning from spin one channel to orbital two-channel Kondo (2CK) effect by varying CoFe₂O₄ (CFO) content in the composites with LaNiO₃ (LNO) along with the presence of ferrimagnetism. Although there is no signature of resistivity upturn in the case of pure LNO, all the composites exhibit a distinct upturn in the temperature range of 30-80 K. For composites with lower percentage of CFO (10%), the electron spin plays the key role in the emergence of resistivity upturn which is affected by external magnetic field. On the other hand, when the CFO content is increased (⩾15%), the upturn shows strong robustness against high magnetic field (⩽14 T) and a crossover in temperature variation from [Formula: see text] to T ^1/2 at the Kondo temperature, indicating the appearance of orbital 2CK effect. The orbital 2CK effect originates due to the scattering of conduction electrons from the structural two-level systems which is created at the interfaces between the two phases (LNO and CFO) of different crystal structures as well as inside the crystal planes. The specific heat data at low temperature (⩽40 K), deviates from the usual linear temperature variation of the electronic contribution. With higher CFO content it shows more deviation which also indicates the increasing amount of two-level system. A negative magnetoresistance (MR) is observed at low temperature (<30 K) for composites containing both lower (10%) and higher percentage (15%) of CFO. We have analyzed the negative MR using Khosla and Fisher semi-empirical model based on spin dependent scattering of conduction electrons from localized spins.

Interface-Induced Phenomena in Magnetism

This article reviews static and dynamic interfacial effects in magnetism, focusing on interfacially-driven magnetic effects and phenomena associated with spin-orbit coupling and intrinsic symmetry breaking at interfaces. It provides a historical background and literature survey, but focuses on recent progress, identifying the most exciting new scientific results and pointing to promising future research directions. It starts with an introduction and overview of how basic magnetic properties are affected by interfaces, then turns to a discussion of charge and spin transport through and near interfaces and how these can be used to control the properties of the magnetic layer. Important concepts include spin accumulation, spin currents, spin transfer torque, and spin pumping. An overview is provided to the current state of knowledge and existing review literature on interfacial effects such as exchange bias, exchange spring magnets, spin Hall effect, oxide heterostructures, and topological insulators. The article highlights recent discoveries of interface-induced magnetism and non-collinear spin textures, non-linear dynamics including spin torque transfer and magnetization reversal induced by interfaces, and interfacial effects in ultrafast magnetization processes.

Theory of Kondo suppression of spin polarization in nonlocal spin valves

We theoretically analyze contributions from the Kondo effect to the spin polarization and spin diffusion length in all-metal nonlocal spin valves. Interdiffusion of ferromagnetic atoms into the normal metal layer creates a region in which Kondo physics plays a significant role, giving discrepancies between experiment and existing theory. We start from a simple model and construct a modified spin drift-diffusion equation which clearly demonstrates how the Kondo physics not only suppresses the electrical conductivity but even more strongly reduces the spin diffusion length. We also present an explicit expression for the suppression of spin polarization due to Kondo physics in an illustrative regime. We compare this theory to previous experimental data to extract an estimate of the Elliot-Yafet probability for Kondo spin flip scattering of 0.7 ± 0.4, in good agreement with the value of 2/3 derived in the original theory of Kondo.

Kondo Effect in Magnetic Tunnel Junctions with an AlOx Tunnel Barrier

The influence of the magnetization configuration on Kondo effect in magnetic tunnel junction is investigated. In the parallel configuration, an additional resistance contribution (R*) below 40 K exhibits a logarithmic temperature dependence, indicating the presence of Kondo effect. However, in the anti-parallel configuration, the Kondo-effect-associated spin-flip scattering has a nontrivial contribution to the tunneling current, which compensates the reduction of the current directly caused by Kondo scattering, making R* disappear. These results indicate that suppression and restoration of Kondo effect can be experimentally achieved by altering the magnetization configuration, enhancing our understanding of the role of Kondo effect in spin-dependent transport.

Insights into Cotranslational Nascent Protein Behavior from Computer Simulations

Regulation of protein stability and function in vivo begins during protein synthesis, when the ribosome translates a messenger RNA into a nascent polypeptide. Cotranslational processes involving a nascent protein include folding, binding to other macromolecules, enzymatic modification, and secretion through membranes. Experiments have shown that the rate at which the ribosome adds amino acids to the elongating nascent chain influences the efficiency of these processes, with alterations to these rates possibly contributing to diseases, including some types of cancer. In this review, we discuss recent insights into cotranslational processes gained from molecular simulations, how different computational approaches have been combined to understand cotranslational processes at multiple scales, and the new scenarios illuminated by these simulations. We conclude by suggesting interesting questions that computational approaches in this research area can address over the next few years.

Modulation of spin accumulation by nanoscale confinement using electromigration in a metallic lateral spin valve

We study spin transport in lateral spin valves with constricted channels. Using electromigration, we modulate the spin accumulation by continuously varying the width of the non-magnetic (NM) channel at a single location. By fitting the non-local spin signal data as a function of the NM channel resistance, we extract all the relevant parameters regarding spin transport from a single device. Simulations show that constricting the channel blocks the diffusion of the accumulated spins rather than causing spin flipping. This result could be used to improve the design of future spintronic devices devoted to information processing.

Diversity and selectivity in mRNA translation on the endoplasmic reticulum

Pioneering electron microscopy studies defined two primary populations of ribosomes in eukaryotic cells: one freely dispersed through the cytoplasm and the other bound to the surface of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Subsequent investigations revealed a specialized function for each population, with secretory and integral membrane protein-encoding mRNAs translated on ER-bound ribosomes, and cytosolic protein synthesis was widely attributed to free ribosomes. Recent findings have challenged this view, and transcriptome-scale studies of mRNA distribution and translation have now demonstrated that ER-bound ribosomes also function in the translation of a large fraction of mRNAs that encode cytosolic proteins. These studies suggest a far more expansive role for the ER in transcriptome expression, where membrane and secretory protein synthesis represents one element of a multifaceted and dynamic contribution to post-transcriptional gene expression.