Tunable exchange bias in the magnetic Weyl semimetal Co3Sn2 S2

  • Avia Noah
  • , Filip Toric
  • , Tomer D. Feld
  • , Gilad Zissman
  • , Alon Gutfreund
  • , Dor Tsruya
  • , T. R. Devidas
  • , Hen Alpern
  • , Atzmon Vakahi
  • , Hadar Steinberg
  • , Martin E. Huber
  • , James G. Analytis
  • , Snir Gazit
  • , Ella Lachman
  • , Yonathan Anahory

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

20 Scopus citations

Abstract

Exchange bias is a phenomenon critical to solid-state technologies that require spin valves or nonvolatile magnetic memory. The phenomenon is usually studied in the context of magnetic interfaces between antiferromagnets and ferromagnets, where the exchange field of the former acts as a means to pin the polarization of the latter. In the present study, we report an unusual instance of this phenomenon in the topological Weyl semimetal Co3Sn2S2, where the magnetic interfaces associated with domain walls suffice to bias the entire ferromagnetic bulk. Remarkably, our data suggest the presence of a hidden order parameter whose behavior can be independently tuned by applied magnetic fields. For micron-size samples, the domain walls are absent, and the exchange bias vanishes, suggesting the boundaries are a source of pinned uncompensated moment arising from the hidden order. This mechanism suggests that exciting opportunities lie ahead for the application of topological materials in spintronic technologies.

Original languageEnglish
Article number144423
JournalPhysical Review B
Volume105
Issue number14
DOIs
StatePublished - 1 Apr 2022
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2022 American Physical Society.

Funding

We would like to thank B. Yan, Z. Ovadyahu, A. Vaknin, and A. Capua for fruitful discussions. We would like to thank S. Ben Atar for manufacturing the SOT microscope, N. Katz for growing the Nb thin films, and to E. Sabag which who was responsible for the construction of the Quantum Imaging Lab. This work was supported by European Research Council (ERC) Foundation Grant No. 802952 and Israel Science Foundation (ISF) Grants No. 649/17 and No. 2178/17. The international collaboration on this work was fostered by the EU-COST Action CA16218. S. G. acknowledges support from Israel Science Foundation Grant No. 1686/18. H.S. acknowledges funding provided by DFG Priority program Grant 443404566 and Israel Science Foundation Grant 861/19. J.G.A. and E.L. acknowledges support from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation's EPiQS Initiative through Grant No. GBMF9067 and National Science Foundation under Grant No. 1905397. E.L. is an awardee of the Weizmann Institute of Science - National Postdoctoral Award Program for Advancing Women in Science. F. T. is an awardee of the Hebrew University Center for Nanoscience and Nanotechnology Postdoctoral Fellowship.

FundersFunder number
National Science Foundation1905397
Gordon and Betty Moore FoundationGBMF9067
Horizon 2020 Framework Programme802952
European Commission
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft443404566, 861/19
Israel Science Foundation2178/17, 1686/18, 649/17

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