Scientists Provide Experimental Evidence for Zeeman Spin-Orbit Coupling in Antiferromagnetics

Current effort in designing spintronic devices is focusing on understanding and making use of spin-orbit coupling, an interaction between the orbital angular momentum and the spin angular momentum of an individual particle, such as an electron. However, spin-orbit coupling occurring in many compounds is often weak or its emergence requires the use of heavy components. One way to overcome spin-orbit coupling related challenges could be the use of antiferromagnetics. A spin-orbit coupling of an unusual nature, termed Zeeman spin-orbit coupling is expected to manifest itself in a wide range of ferromagnetic conductors. Being proportional to the applied magnetic field, the coupling is tunable. Yet, experimental proof of this phenomenon has been lacking.

Current effort in designing spintronic devices is focusing on understanding and making use of spin-orbit coupling, an interaction between the orbital angular momentum and the spin angular momentum of an individual particle, such as an electron. However, spin-orbit coupling occurring in many compounds is often weak or its emergence requires the use of heavy components. One way to overcome spin-orbit coupling related challenges could be the use of antiferromagnetics. A spin-orbit coupling of an unusual nature, termed Zeeman spin-orbit coupling is expected to manifest itself in a wide range of ferromagnetic conductors. Being proportional to the applied magnetic field, the coupling is tunable. Yet, experimental proof of this phenomenon has been lacking.

The collaboration of a NUST MISIS physicist with colleagues from Germany, France and Japan produced, for the first time, experimental evidence of Zeeman spin-orbit coupling in two very different layered conductors: an organic antiferromagnetic superconductor, and a prominent electron-doped superconductor that belongs to the family of high-temperature cuprate superconducting materials. Obtained on two very different materials, the results of this work demonstrate the generic nature of the Zeeman spin—orbit coupling. In addition to its fundamental importance, the Zeeman spin-orbit coupling opens new possibilities for spin manipulation, much sought after in the current effort to harness electron spin for future spintronic applications.

"The Zeeman spin-orbit coupling can be significantly stronger than other known kinds of spin-orbit coupling, thus providing new avenues for the development of fundamentally new electronic devices", noted  Pavel Grigoriev, Professor at the NUST MISIS Department of Theoretical Physics and Quantum Technologies, senior researcher at Landau Institute for Theoretical Physics.

Link: https://en.misis.ru/university/news/science/2021-04/7294/

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