Observation of Resonant Quantum Magnetoelectric Effect in a Multiferroic Metal–Organic Framework

A resonant quantum magnetoelectric coupling effect has been demonstrated in the multiferroic metal–organic framework of [(CH₃)₂NH₂]­Fe­(HCOO)₃. This material shows a coexistence of a spin-canted antiferromagnetic order and ferroelectricity as well as clear magnetoelectric coupling below <i>T</i>_N ≈ 19 K. In addition, a component of single-ion quantum magnets develops below ∼8 K because of an intrinsic magnetic phase separation. The stair-shaped magnetic hysteresis loop at 2 K signals resonant quantum tunneling of magnetization. Meanwhile, the magnetic field dependence of dielectric permittivity exhibits sharp peaks just at the critical tunneling fields, evidencing the occurrence of resonant quantum magnetoelectric coupling effect. This resonant effect enables a simple electrical detection of quantum tunneling of magnetization

Enhanced Catalytic Activities of NiPt Truncated Octahedral Nanoparticles toward Ethylene Glycol Oxidation and Oxygen Reduction in Alkaline Electrolyte

The high cost and poor durability of Pt nanoparticles (NPs) are great limits for the proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) from being scaled-up for commercial applications. Pt-based bimetallic NPs together with a uniform distribution can effectively reduce the usage of expensive Pt while increasing poison resistance of intermediates. In this work, a simple one-pot method was used to successfully synthesize ultrafine (about 7.5 nm) uniform NiPt truncated octahedral nanoparticles (TONPs) in dimethylformamid (DMF) without any seeds or templates. The as-prepared NiPt TONPs with Pt-rich surfaces exhibit greatly improved catalytic activities together with good tolerance and better stability for ethylene glycol oxidation reaction (EGOR) and oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in comparison with NiPt NPs and commercial Pt/C catalysts in alkaline electrolyte. For example, the value of mass and specific activities for EGOR are 23.2 and 17.6 times higher comparing with those of commercial Pt/C, respectively. Our results demonstrate that the dramatic enhancement is mainly attributed to Pt-rich surface, larger specific surface area, together with coupling between Ni and Pt atoms. This developed method provides a promising pathway for simple preparation of highly efficient electrocatalysts for PEMFCs in the near future

Observation of Resonant Quantum Magnetoelectric Effect in a Multiferroic Metal–Organic Framework

A resonant quantum magnetoelectric coupling effect has been demonstrated in the multiferroic metal–organic framework of [(CH₃)₂NH₂]­Fe­(HCOO)₃. This material shows a coexistence of a spin-canted antiferromagnetic order and ferroelectricity as well as clear magnetoelectric coupling below <i>T</i>_N ≈ 19 K. In addition, a component of single-ion quantum magnets develops below ∼8 K because of an intrinsic magnetic phase separation. The stair-shaped magnetic hysteresis loop at 2 K signals resonant quantum tunneling of magnetization. Meanwhile, the magnetic field dependence of dielectric permittivity exhibits sharp peaks just at the critical tunneling fields, evidencing the occurrence of resonant quantum magnetoelectric coupling effect. This resonant effect enables a simple electrical detection of quantum tunneling of magnetization

Thermal Stability of Skyrmion Tubes in Nanostructured Cuboids

Magnetic skyrmions in bulk materials are typically regarded as two-dimensional structures. However, they also exhibit three-dimensional configurations, known as skyrmion tubes, that elongate and extend in-depth. Understanding the configurations and stabilization mechanism of skyrmion tubes is crucial for the development of advanced spintronic devices. However, the generation and annihilation of skyrmion tubes in confined geometries are still rarely reported. Here, we present direct imaging of skyrmion tubes in nanostructured cuboids of a chiral magnet FeGe using Lorentz transmission electron microscopy (TEM), while applying an in-plane magnetic field. It is observed that skyrmion tubes stabilize in a narrow field-temperature region near the Curie temperature (Tc). Through a field cooling process, metastable skyrmion tubes can exist in a larger region of the field-temperature diagram. Combining these experimental findings with micromagnetic simulations, we attribute these phenomena to energy differences and thermal fluctuations. Our results could promote topological spintronic devices based on skyrmion tubes

Tailoring of the Interfacial Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya Interaction in Perpendicularly Magnetized Epitaxial Multilayers by Crystal Engineering

The interplay between the interfacial crystalline structure and Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (DMI) was investigated by Fe insertion in epitaxial Pt/Co/Ir perpendicular magnetized multilayers. The experimental results with the support of first-principles calculation indicate that the Fe/Ir interface exhibits a positive interfacial DMI (iDMI) originating from the fcc crystalline structure inserted by 2 monolayers (ML) Fe, while a negative one from the structure with a layer shifting of 1-ML Fe insertion. The total iDMI of the multilayers increases (decreases) due to the additive enhancement (competitive counteraction) between the iDMI of Fe/Ir and Pt/Co interfaces. Comparing the iDMI of single-crystalline and textured multilayers, the iDMI of multilayers is found to be particularly sensitive to the crystallinity nearby the heterointerfaces. This work is of vital importance to reveal a deeper insight into the physical mechanism of the iDMI and provides a viable strategy for tailoring the iDMI of the multilayers by crystal engineering

Real-Space Observation of Nonvolatile Zero-Field Biskyrmion Lattice Generation in MnNiGa Magnet

Magnetic skyrmions, particular those without the support of external magnetic fields over a wide temperature region, are promising as alternative spintronic units to overcome the fundamental size limitation of conventional magnetic bits. In this study, we use in situ Lorentz microscope to directly demonstrate the generation and sustainability of robust biskyrmion lattice at zero magnetic field over a wide temperature range of 16–338 K in MnNiGa alloy. This procedure includes a simple field-cooling manipulation from 360 K (higher than Curie temperature <i>T</i>_C ∼ 350 K), where topological transition easily occurs by adapting the short-range magnetic clusters under a certain magnetic field. The biskyrmion phase is favored upon cooling below <i>T</i>_C. Once they are generated, the robust high-density biskyrmions persist even after removing the external magnetic field due to the topological protection and the increased energy barrier

Controllable Spin–Orbit Torque Induced by Interfacial Ion Absorption in Ta/CoFeB/MgO Multilayers with Canted Magnetizations

Electrically generated spin–orbit torque (SOT) has emerged as a powerful pathway to control magnetization for spintronic applications including memory, logic, and neurocomputing. However, the requirement of external magnetic fields, together with the ultrahigh current density, is the main obstacle for practical SOT devices. In this paper, we report that the field-free SOT-driven magnetization switching can be successfully realized by interfacial ion absorption in perpendicular Ta/CoFeB/MgO multilayers. Besides, the tunable SOT efficiency exhibits a strong dependence on interfacial Ti insertion thicknesses. Polarized neutron reflection measurements demonstrate the existence of canted magnetization with Ti inserted, which leads to deterministic magnetization switching. In addition, interfacial characterization and first-principles calculations reveal that B absorption by the Ti layer is the main cause behind the enhanced interfacial transparency, which determines the tunable SOT efficiency. Our findings highlight an attractive scheme to a purely electric control spin configuration, enabling innovative designs for SOT-based spintronics via interfacial engineering