We report current-induced spin torques in epitaxial NiMnSb films on a commercially available epi-ready GaAs substrate. The NiMnSb was grown by co-sputtering from three targets using optimised parameter. The films were processed into micro-scale bars to perform current-induced spin-torque measurements. Magnetic dynamics were excited by microwave currents and electric voltages along the bars were measured to analyse the symmetry of the current-induced torques. We found that the extracted symmetry of the spin torques matches those expected from spin-orbit interaction in a tetragonally distorted half-Heusler crystal. Both field-like and damping-like torques are observed in all the samples characterised, and the efficiency of the current-induced torques is comparable to that of ferromagnetic metal/heavy metal bilayers.
We demonstrate tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR) junctions based on a tri layer system consisting of an epitaxial NiMnSb, aluminum oxide and CoFe tri layer. The junctions show a tunnelling magnetoresistance of Delta R/R of 8.7% at room temperature which increases to 14.7% at 4.2K. The layers show clear separate switching and a small ferromagnetic coupling. A uniaxial in plane anisotropy in the NiMnSb layer leads to different switching characteristics depending on the direction in which the magnetic field is applied, an effect which can be used for sensor applications.
Epitaxial films including bulk-like cubic and wurtzite polymorphs of MnSb have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs via careful control of the Sb4/Mn flux ratio. Nonzero-temperature density functional theory was used to predict ab initio the spin polarization as a function of reduced magnetization for the half-metals NiMnSb and cubic MnSb. In both cases, half-metallicity is lost at a threshold magnetization reduction, corresponding to a temperature T*< Tc. This threshold is far higher for cubic MnSb compared to NiMnSb and corresponds to T* > 350K, making epitaxial cubic MnSb a promisin…
We show that sputtered, pure epitaxial iron films can have high-frequency loss as low as, or lower than, any known metallic ferromagnetic heterostructure. Minimum 34 Ghz ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) linewidths of 41 Oe are demonstrated, some ~ 5-10 % lower than the previous minimum reported for molecular beam epitaxially (MBE) deposited Fe. Intrinsic and extrinsic damping have been separated over 0-40 Ghz, giving a lower bound for intrinsic LL(G) relaxation rates of lambda or G = 85 MHz (alpha = 0.0027) and extrinsic 50 Mhz. Swept frequency measurements indicate the potential for integrated f…
The half-metallic half-Heusler alloy NiMnSb is a promising candidate for applications in spintronic devices due to its low magnetic damping and its rich anisotropies. Here we use ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) measurements and calculations from first principles to investigate how the composition of the epitaxially grown NiMnSb influences the magnetodynamic properties of saturation magnetization $M_S$, Gilbert damping $α$, and exchange stiffness $A$. $M_S$ and $A$ are shown to have a maximum for stoichiometric composition, while the Gilbert damping is minimum. We find excellent quantitative agre…
Epitaxial thin film fabrication of iron oxides including magnetite Fe3O4 and epsilon-ferrite epsilon-Fe2O3 with the potential for advancing electromagnetic devices has been investigated, which led to the first ever epsilon-ferrite epitaxial layer being synthesized in the conventional sputtering process. Concerning Fe3O4 (100) / MgO (100) films, a cube-on-cube epitaxial relationship and sharp rocking curves with FWHM of 50 - 350 arcsec were confirmed regardless of the small amount of Ge additions. Sputtering Ar gas pressure PAr heavily influenced their magnetic and transport properties. High PA…
Spin-dependent transport phenomena due to relativistic spin-orbit coupling and broken space-inversion symmetry are often difficult to interpret microscopically, in particular when occurring at surfaces or interfaces. Here we present a theoretical and experimental study of spin-orbit torque and unidirectional magnetoresistance in a model room-temperature ferromagnet NiMnSb with inversion asymmetry in the bulk of this half-heusler crystal. Besides the angular dependence on magnetization, the competition of Rashba and Dresselhaus-like spin-orbit couplings results in the dependence of these effect…
We report on the structural, magnetic, and electron transport properties of a L1o-ordered epitaxial iron-platinum alloy layer fabricated by magnetron-sputtering on a MgO(001) substrate. The film studied displayed a long range chemical order parameter of S~0.90, and hence has a very strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. In the diffusive electron transport regime, for temperatures ranging from 2 K to 258 K, we found hysteresis in the magnetoresistance mainly due to electron scattering from magnetic domain walls. At 2 K, we observed an overall domain wall magnetoresistance of about 0.5 %. By …
Si-doped GaN films were grown on $\textit{c}$-sapphire by rf magnetron reactive co-sputtering of GaAs and Si at various partial pressures of N$_2$ in Ar-N2 growth atmosphere and their epitaxial character was ascertained by phi-scans. Energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy revealed $\thicksim$2 at.% Si in all the films, but the N/Ga ratio decreased substantially as N$_2$ percentage was reduced from 100% to 10%. High resolution x-ray diffraction revealed the dominant presence of edge dislocations ($\thicksim$10$^{12}$ cm$^{-2}$) in the films grown at 30% - 100% N$_2$, which decreased to $\thicksim…
We report the structural, magnetic, and interfacial spin transport properties of epitaxial terbium iron garnet (TbIG) ultrathin films deposited by magnetron sputtering. High crystallinity was achieved by growing the films on gadolinium gallium garnet (GGG) substrates either at high temperature, or at room temperature followed by thermal annealing, above 750 °C in both cases. The films display large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) induced by compressive strain, and tunable structural and magnetic properties through growth conditions or the substrate lattice parameter choice. The ferrima…
Few-layer PtSe2 films are promising candidates for applications in high-speed electronics, spintronics and photodetectors. Reproducible fabrication of large-area highly crystalline films is, however, still a challenge. Here, we report the fabrication of epitaxially aligned PtSe2 films using one-zone selenization of pre-sputtered platinum layers. We have studied the influence of the growth conditions on the structural and electrical properties of the films prepared from Pt layers with different initial thickness. The best results were obtained for PtSe2 layers grown at elevated temperatures (60…
The electronic, magnetic, thermoelectric, and topological properties of Heusler compounds (composition $XYZ$ or $X_2 YZ$) are highly sensitive to stoichiometry and defects. Here we establish the existence and experimentally map the bounds of a \textit{semi} adsorption-controlled growth window for semiconducting half Heusler FeVSb films, grown by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). We show that due to the high volatility of Sb, the Sb stoichiometry is self-limiting for a finite range of growth temperatures and Sb fluxes, similar to the growth of III-V semiconductors such as GaSb and GaAs. Films grown…
Films of (111)-textured Cu, Ni, and Cu$_x$Ni$_y$ were evaluated as substrates for chemical vapor deposition of graphene. A metal thickness of 400 nm to 700 nm was sputtered onto a substrate of $α-$Al$_2$O$_3$(0001) at temperatures of 250 C to 650 C. The films were then annealed at 1000 C in a tube furnace. X-ray and electron backscatter diffraction measurements showed all films have (111) texture but have grains with in-plane orientations differing by $60^{\circ}$. The in-plane epitaxial relationship for all films was $[110]_{metal}$||$[10\bar{1}0]_{{Al}_{2}{O}_{3}}$. Reactive sputtering of Al…
Low-temperature epitaxial growth of refractory transition-metal nitride thin films by means of physical vapor deposition has been a recurring theme in advanced thin-film technology for several years. In the present study, 150-nm-thick epitaxial HfN layers are grown on MgO(001) by reactive high-impulse magnetron sputtering (HiPIMS) with no external substrate heating. Maximum film growth temperatures Ts due to plasma heating range from 70-150 °C, corresponding to Ts/Tm = 0.10-0.12 (in which Tm is the HfN melting point in K). During HiPIMS, gas and sputtered-metal ion fluxes incident at the growi…
Although technologically challenging, the integration of ferroelectric thin films with graphene spintronics potentially allows the realization of highly efficient, electrically tuneable, non-volatile memories. Here, the atomic layer deposition (ALD) of ferroelectric Hf$_{0.5}$Zr$_{0.5}$O$_2$ (HZO) directly on graphene (Gr)/Co/heavy metal (HM) epitaxial stacks is investigated via the implementation of several nucleation methods. With an in-situ method employing an Al$_2$O$_3$ layer, the HZO demonstrates a remanent polarization (2Pr) of 19.2 $μC/cm^2$. An ex-situ, naturally oxidized sputtered Ta…
30-80 nm thick yttrium iron garnet (YIG) films are grown by pulsed laser deposition on a 5 nm thick sputtered Pt atop gadolinium gallium garnet substrate (GGG) (110). Upon post-growth rapid thermal annealing, single crystal YIG(110) emerges as if it were epitaxially grown on GGG(110) despite the presence of the intermediate Pt film. The YIG surface shows atomic steps with the root-mean-square roughness of 0.12 nm on flat terraces. Both Pt/YIG and GGG/Pt interfaces are atomically sharp. The resulting YIG(110) films show clear in-plane uniaxial magnetic anisotropy with a well-defined easy axis a…
We report an investigation of anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) and anomalous Hall resistance (AHR) of Rh and Pt thin films sputtered on epitaxial Y$_3$Fe$_5$O$_{12}$ (YIG) ferromagnetic insulator films. For the Pt/YIG hybrid, large spin-Hall magnetoresistance (SMR) along with a sizable conventional anisotropic magnetoresistance (CAMR) and a nontrivial temperature dependence of AHR were observed in the temperature range of 5-300 K. In contrast, a reduced SMR with negligible CAMR and AHR was found in Rh/YIG hybrid. Since CAMR and AHR are characteristics for all ferromagnetic metals, our resul…
