Open AccessEpitaxial strain controlled magnetocrystalline anisotropy in ultrathin FeRh/MgO bilayers
Author(s) -
Guohui Zheng,
San-Huang Ke,
Maosheng Miao,
Jinwoong Kim,
R. Ramesh,
Nicholas Kioussis
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
aip advances
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.421
H-Index - 58
ISSN - 2158-3226
DOI - 10.1063/1.4974059
Subject(s) - magnetocrystalline anisotropy , condensed matter physics , materials science , spintronics , ab initio , ab initio quantum chemistry methods , heterojunction , epitaxy , atomic orbital , ferromagnetism , magnetic anisotropy , strain (injury) , nanotechnology , optoelectronics , magnetic field , chemistry , layer (electronics) , electron , physics , magnetization , organic chemistry , quantum mechanics , molecule , medicine
Using ab initio electronic structure calculations we have investigated the effect of epitaxial strain on the magnetocrystalline anisotropy (MCA) of ultrathin FeRh/MgO heterostructures. Analysis of the energy- and k-resolved distribution of the orbital character of the band structure reveals that MCA largely arises from the spin-orbit coupling (SOC) between dx2−y2 and dxz/dyz orbitals of Fe atoms at the FeRh/MgO interface. We demonstrate that the strain has significant effects on the MCA: It not only affects the value of the MCA but also induces a switching of the magnetic easy axis from perpendicular to in-plane direction. The mechanism is the strain-induced shifts of the SOC d-states. Our work demonstrates that strain engineering can open a viable pathway towards tailoring magnetic properties for antiferromagetic spintronic applications
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