Fabrication of (111)-oriented Ca0.5Sr0.5IrO3/SrTiO3 superlattices; a designed playground for honeycomb physics

We report the fabrication of (111)-oriented superlattice structures with alternating 2m-layers (m = 1, 2, and 3) of Ca0.5Sr0.5IrO3 perovskite and two layers of SrTiO3 perovskite on SrTiO3(111) substrates. In the case of m = 1 bilayer films, the Ir sub-lattice is a buckled honeycomb, where a topological state may be anticipated. The successful growth of superlattice structures on an atomic level along the [111] direction was clearly demonstrated by superlattice reflections in x-ray diffraction patterns and by atomically-resolved transmission electron microscope images. The ground states of the superlattice films were found to be magnetic insulators, which may suggest the importance of electron correlations in Ir perovskites in addition to the much discussed topological effects.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure

Spin current generation from an epitaxial tungsten dioxide WO2_{2}

We report on efficient spin current generation at room temperature in rutile type WO$_{2}$ grown on Al$_{2}$O$_{3}$(0001) substrate. The optimal WO$_{2}$ film has (010)-oriented monoclinically distorted rutile structure with metallic conductivity due to 5$\it{d}$$^2$ electrons, as characterized by x-ray diffraction, electronic transport, and x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. By conducting harmonic Hall measurement in Ni$_{81}$Fe$_{19}$/WO$_{2}$ bilayer, we estimate two symmetries of the spin-orbit torque (SOT), i.e., dampinglike (DL) and fieldlike ones to find that the former is larger than the latter. By comparison with the Ni$_{81}$Fe$_{19}$/W control sample, the observed DL SOT efficiency $\xi$$_{DL}$ of WO$_{2}$ (+0.174) is about two thirds of that of W (-0.281) in magnitude, with a striking difference in their signs. The magnitude of the $\xi$$_{DL}$ of WO$_{2}$ exhibits comparable value to those of widely reported Pt and Ta, and Ir oxide IrO$_{2}$. The positive sign of the $\xi$$_{DL}$ of WO$_{2}$ can be explained by the preceding theoretical study based on the 4$\it{d}$ oxides. These results highlight that the epitaxial WO$_{2}$ offers a great opportunity of rutile oxides with spintronic functionalities, leading to future spin-orbit torque-controlled devices.Comment: 14 pages, 4 figure

Spin-orbit torque generation in bilayers composed of CoFeB and epitaxial SrIrO3_{3} grown on an orthorhombic DyScO3_{3} substrate

We report on the highly efficient spin-orbit torque (SOT) generation in epitaxial SrIrO$_{3}$(SIO), which is grown on an orthorhombic DyScO$_{3}$(110) substrate. By conducting harmonic Hall measurement in Co$_{20}$Fe$_{60}$B$_{20}$ (CoFeB)/SIO bilayers, we characterize two kinds of the SOTs, i.e., dampinglike (DL) and fieldlike ones to find that the former is much larger than the latter. By comparison with the Pt control sample with the same CoFeB thickness, the observed DL SOT efficiency $\xi$$_{DL}$ of SIO ($\sim$0.32) is three times higher than that of Pt ($\sim$0.093). The $\xi$$_{DL}$ is nearly constant as a function of the CoFeB thickness, suggesting that the SIO plays a crucial role in the large SOT generation. These results on the CoFeB/SIO bilayers highlight that the epitaxial SIO is promising for low-current and reliable spin-orbit torque-controlled devices.Comment: arXiv admin note: text overlap with arXiv:2305.1788

Epitaxially stabilized iridium spinel oxide without cations in the tetrahedral site

Single-crystalline thin film of an iridium dioxide polymorph Ir2O4 has been fabricated by the pulsed laser deposition of LixIr2O4 precursor and the subsequent Li-deintercalation using soft chemistry. Ir2O4 crystallizes in a spinel (AB2O4) without A cations in the tetrahedral site, which is isostructural to lambda-MnO2. Ir ions form a pyrochlore sublattice, which is known to give rise to a strong geometrical frustration. This Ir spinel was found to be a narrow gap insulator, in remarkable contrast to the metallic ground state of rutile-type IrO2. We argue that an interplay of strong spin-orbit coupling and a Coulomb repulsion gives rise to an insulating ground state as in a layered perovskite Sr2IrO4.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figure

Strongly correlated oxides for energy harvesting

We review recent advances in strongly correlated oxides as thermoelectric materials in pursuit of energy harvesting. We discuss two topics: one is the enhancement of the ordinary thermoelectric properties by controlling orbital degrees of freedom and orbital fluctuation not only in bulk but also at the interface of correlated oxides. The other topic is the use of new phenomena driven by spin-orbit coupling (SOC) of materials. In 5d electron oxides, we show some SOC-related transport phenomena, which potentially contribute to energy harvesting. We outline the current status and a future perspective of oxides as thermoelectric materials