Magnetism, Volume 3, Issue 3 (September 2023) – 6 articles

Transition metal dichalcogenides are studied due to the possibility of creating nanoscale semiconductor devices, as well as fundamental issues of magnetic ordering. We researched the crystal structure and magnetic properties of niobium dichalcogenide Mn_0.30NbS₂. The results of the X-ray study showed the possible existence of an intermediate 2$\sqrt{3}$a₀·2$\sqrt{3}$a₀ structure between the “basic” superstructures. Also, two local maximums were found in the temperature dependence of the dynamic magnetic susceptibility. These features can indirectly confirm the presence of a transition superstructure and reflect the two-step nature of the magnetic ordering. Full article

Recent years have seen the emergence of moiré materials as an attractive platform for observing a host of novel correlated and topological phenomena. Moiré heterostructures are generated when layers of van der Waals materials are stacked such that consecutive layers are slightly mismatched in their lattice orientation or unit cell size. This slight lattice mismatch gives rise to a long-wavelength moiré pattern that modulates the electronic structure and leads to novel physics. The moiré superlattice results in flat superlattice bands, electron–electron interactions and non-trivial topology that have led to the observation of superconductivity, the quantum anomalous Hall effect and orbital magnetization, among other interesting properties. This review focuses on the experimental observation and theoretical analysis of orbital magnetism in moiré materials. These systems are novel in their ability to host magnetism that is dominated by the orbital magnetic moment of Bloch electrons. This orbital magnetic moment is easily tunable using external electric fields and carrier concentration since it originates in the quantum anomalous Hall effect. As a result, the orbital magnetism found in moiré superlattices can be highly attractive for a wide array of applications including spintronics, ultra-low-power magnetic memories, spin-based neuromorphic computing and quantum information technology. Full article

Multipolar bonded magnets based on thermosets offer the opportunity to expand the applications of bonded magnets with respect to an increasing chemical and thermal resistance compared to thermoplastics. To utilise this option, the correlation between the material system and the magnetic properties must be explored amongst other influencing factors. This paper investigates the magnetic properties and the orientation of thermoset- (epoxy resin and phenolic resin) based bonded ring magnets with a hard magnetic filler of strontium-ferrite-oxide. The influence of the matrix material and the filler grade on the magnetic properties is correlated with the material characterisation showing a high impact of the embedding of the fillers into the matrix on the orientation and with that the magnetic properties. Based on a network theory, it can be justified that the magnetic properties can be increased due to a phenolic resin and a high filler grade. Further, it was shown that the orientation along the sample depth is highly affected by the strength of the outer magnetic field and limited in terms of the high-tool temperature in a thermoset-based production. With that, the sample depth, which reveals a proper orientation, is restricted so far. Full article

Magneto-electric coupling is a desirable property for a material used in modern electronic devices to possess due to the favorable possibilities of tuning the electronic properties using a magnetic field and vice versa. However, such materials are rare in nature. That is why the so-called superlattice approach to creating such materials is receiving so much attention. In the superlattice approach, the functionality of a combined heterostructure depends on the interacting components and can be adjusted depending on the desired property. In the present paper, we present supercells of ferromagnetic thin films of Fe and Co deposited on ferroelectric and piezoelectric substrates of BaTiO₃ and SrTiO₃ that exhibit magnetism, ferroelectric polarization and piezoelectric effects. Within the structures under investigation, magnetic moments can be tuned by an external electric field via the ferroelectric dipoles. We investigate the effect of magnetoelectric coupling by means of ab initio spin-polarized and spin–orbit calculations. We study the structural, electronic and magnetic properties of heterostructures, and show that electrostriction can reduce the magnitude of the magnetization vector of a ferromagnet. This approach can become the basis for controlling the properties of one of the ferromagnetic layers of a superconducting spin valve, and thus the superconducting properties of the valve. Full article

The properties of a superconducting spin valve Fe1/Cu/Fe2/Cu/Pb on a piezoelectric PMN–PT substrate ([Pb(Mg_1/3Nb_2/3)O₃]_0.7–[PbTiO₃]_0.3) in electric and magnetic fields have been studied. The magnitude of the shift of the superconducting transition temperature in the magnetic field H = 1 kOe equal to 150 mK was detected, while the full superconducting spin valve effect was demonstrated. Abnormal behavior of the superconducting transition temperature was observed, which manifests itself in the maximum values of the superconducting transition temperature with the orthogonal orientation of the magnetization vectors of ferromagnetic layers. This may indirectly indicate the formation of the easy axis of the magnetization vector of the Fe1-layer adjacent to the piezoelectric substrate PMN–PT. It was found that with an increase in the magnitude of the applied electric field to the PMN–PT substrate, the shift in the superconducting transition temperature of the Fe1/Cu/Fe2/Cu/Pb heterostructure increases. The maximum shift was 10 mK in an electric field of 1 kV/cm. Thus, it has been shown for the first time that a piezoelectric superconducting spin valve can function. Full article

In this review, we consider the impact of magnetic field on the properties of strongly correlated heavy-fermion compounds such as heavy-fermion metals and frustrated insulators with quantum spin liquid. Magnetic field B can be considered a universal tool, allowing the exploration of the physics controlling the remarkable properties of heavy-fermion compounds. These vivid properties are $T/B$ scaling, exhibited under the application of magnetic field B and at fixed temperature T, and the emergence of Landau Fermi liquid behavior under the application of magnetic field. We analyze the influence of quasiparticle–hole asymmetry on the properties of heavy-fermion (HF) compounds such as the universal scaling behavior of the thermopower $S/T$ exhibited under the application of magnetic field B. We show that universal scaling is demonstrated by different HF compounds such as $\beta$-${\mathrm{YbAlB}}_4$, ${\mathrm{YbRh}}_2{\mathrm{Si}}_2$, and strongly correlated layered cobalt oxide $\left[{\mathrm{BiBa}}_{0.66}{\mathrm{K}}_{0.36}{\mathrm{O}}_2\right]{\mathrm{CoO}}_2$. Analyzing ${\mathrm{YbRh}}_2{\mathrm{Si}}_2$, we show that the $T/B$ scaling behavior of $S/T$ is violated at the antiferromagnetic phase (AF) transition. The residual resistivity ${\rho }_0$ and the density of states $N_0$ experience jumps at the AF transition, causing two jumps in the thermopower and its sign reversal. Our consideration is based on the flattening of the single-particle spectrum that strongly affects ${\rho }_0$ and $N_0$ and leads to the violation of particle–hole symmetry. The particle–hole asymmetry generates the asymmetrical part $\mathsf{\Delta }{\sigma }_d\left(V\right)$ of tunneling differential conductivity ${\sigma }_d\left(V\right)$, $\mathsf{\Delta }{\sigma }_d\left(V\right)={\sigma }_d\left(V\right)-{\sigma }_d(-V)$, where V is the voltage bias. We demonstrate that in the presence of magnetic field, the quasiparticle–hole asymmetry vanishes, the LFL behavior is restored, and the asymmetry disappears. Our calculations of the mentioned properties of HF compounds, based on the fermion condensation theory, are in good agreement with the experiment and support our conclusion that the fermion condensation theory is capable of describing the properties of HF compounds, including those exhibited under the application of magnetic field. Full article