Key Takeaways & Executive Findings
- •• • The AHE in SIO/NCO heterostructures is enhanced by an order of magnitude compared to ferrimagnetic NCO single films, directly enabling higher signal-to-noise ratios in spin-orbit torque (SOT) devices and reducing read error rates in magnetic memory. • • The enhancement is more significant as the SIO sublayer thickness decreases, with large strain exacerbating interfacial charge transfer; this thickness-dependent tuning provides a design parameter for optimizing charge-to-spin conversion efficiency without external magnetic fields. • • X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms variations in binding energies and concentrations of electronic states, establishing a direct correlation between interfacial charge transfer and AHE enhancement, which is critical for reproducible device fabrication. • • The AHE arises from the synergistic effect of the intrinsic Berry curvature mechanism and extrinsic impurity scattering, offering a pathway to engineer TMO-based spintronic devices with enhanced reliability and low power consumption.
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Abstract
The anomalous Hall effect (AHE) in strongly correlated transition metal oxide (TMO) systems provides a platform for investigating coupled spin, charge, orbital, and lattice degrees of freedom, and enables spin current-driven magnetization switching. However, enhancing the AHE in such systems remains a critical challenge. This work systematically investigates the electronic transport properties of SrIrO3/NiCo2O4 (SIO/NCO) heterostructures. The AHE of SIO/NCO heterostructures is enhanced by an order of magnitude compared to ferrimagnetic NCO single films. The enhancement becomes more pronounced as the SIO sublayer thickness decreases, which is attributed to large strain exacerbating interfacial charge transfer. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals variations in binding energies and concentrations of electronic states, confirming the charge transfer mechanism. The AHE in SIO/NCO heterostructures arises from the synergistic effect of the intrinsic mechanism dominated by Berry curvature and the extrinsic mechanism caused by impurity scattering. These findings advance the reliability of TMO-based spintronic devices.
1. Introduction
Spin-orbit torque (SOT) devices typically rely on non-magnetic heavy metals with strong spin-orbit coupling (SOC), such as Pt, Ta, and W, to convert charge current into spin current for magnetization switching. An additional in-plane magnetic field is required to break inversion symmetry, which limits all-electrical manipulation and device miniaturization. The anomalous Hall effect (AHE), arising from time-reversal symmetry breaking and SOC, can transform spin state changes into readable electrical signals, offering a route to improve SOT device efficiency by using materials with both ferromagnetism and strong SOC.
Transition metal oxides (TMOs) possess multiple degrees of freedom (lattice, charge, spin, orbital) typical of strongly correlated systems. The inverse spinel NiCo2O4 (NCO) exhibits ferrimagnetism with a Curie temperature up to 420 K, perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, and metallic conductivity, but its intrinsic weak SOC yields only a small AHE. This work addresses the bottleneck by constructing SrIrO3/NiCo2O4 heterostructures, where interfacial charge transfer and strain engineering enhance the AHE by an order of magnitude, providing a viable strategy for high-performance TMO-based spintronic devices.
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KANG Penghua, ZHOU Guowei, ZHAO Ye, REN Guoxiu, JI Jiahui, JIN Chao, XU Xiaohong (2025). Enhancement of anomalous Hall effect in SrIrO3/NiCo2O4 heterostructures induced by interfacial charge transfer. SCIENCE CHINA Materials. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40843-025-3380-6
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is the quantitative enhancement of the anomalous Hall effect in SrIrO3/NiCo2O4 heterostructures compared to NiCo2O4 single films?
The AHE in SIO/NCO heterostructures is enhanced by an order of magnitude (approximately 10-fold) relative to ferrimagnetic NCO single films, as measured by Hall resistivity.
How does the thickness of the SrIrO3 sublayer affect the AHE enhancement?
The enhancement becomes more significant as the SIO sublayer thickness decreases, due to large strain exacerbating interfacial charge transfer. This thickness-dependent tuning allows optimization of charge-to-spin conversion efficiency.
What experimental evidence supports the interfacial charge transfer mechanism?
X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy reveals variations in binding energies and concentrations of electronic states, confirming charge transfer across the SIO/NCO interface.
What are the underlying mechanisms contributing to the AHE in SIO/NCO heterostructures?
The AHE arises from the synergistic effect of the intrinsic mechanism dominated by Berry curvature and the extrinsic mechanism caused by impurity scattering.
What are the potential industrial implications of this AHE enhancement for spintronic devices?
The enhanced AHE enables higher signal-to-noise ratios in spin-orbit torque devices, reduces read error rates in magnetic memory, and advances the reliability of TMO-based spintronic devices with low power consumption.
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