Researchers from the University of Science and Technology of China, led by Professor Xiaohong Xu, have made significant strides in the field of oxide spintronics, a technology that leverages the spin of electrons to create more efficient and scalable electronic devices. Their work focuses on a promising material called spinel nickel cobaltite (NiCo2O4, NCO), which exhibits unique magnetic and electronic properties.
The team’s research, published in the journal Nature Communications, explores the potential of NCO in developing low-power, all-oxide spintronic devices. NCO is notable for its room-temperature ferrimagnetically metallic ground state and strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA), making it an ideal candidate for spintronic applications. The researchers discovered that the inherent cation distribution disorder in NCO introduces competing electromagnetic states and an abnormal sign reversal of the anomalous Hall effect (AHE), providing an additional parameter to adjust electromagnetic transports.
The study reveals that the cation disorder in NCO, which can be tuned by growth temperature, is a critical factor in controlling proton evolution. This process gives rise to intermediate hydrogenated states with chemical stability. Hydrogen incorporation was found to reversibly drive structural transformations and electromagnetic state evolutions in NCO. The researchers uncovered rich spin-dependent correlated physics by combining the AHE scaling relation and synchrotron-based spectroscopy.
The practical applications of this research for the energy sector are significant. Spintronics has the potential to revolutionize data storage and processing, leading to more energy-efficient electronic devices. By understanding and controlling the electromagnetic properties of NCO, researchers can pave the way for the development of advanced spintronic devices that consume less power and offer enhanced performance. This could have a profound impact on the energy efficiency of data centers, which are responsible for a significant portion of global energy consumption.
In summary, the work of Professor Xiaohong Xu and her team at the University of Science and Technology of China represents a major advancement in the field of oxide spintronics. Their research on NCO not only establishes it as a versatile platform for discovering spin-dependent physical functionality but also extends the horizons in materials design for state-of-the-art spintronic devices. This research was published in the journal Nature Communications.
This article is based on research available at arXiv.