Ferromagnet/two-dimensional semiconducting transition-metal dichalcogenide interface with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

DOI: 10.1021/acsnano.8b08926

Authors: Wen Zhang (National University of Singapore) , Ping Kwan Johnny Wong (National University of Singapore) , Xiaochao Zhou (Southeast University) , Ashutosh Rath (National University of Singapore) , Zhaocong Huang (Southeast University) , Hongyu Wang (National University of Singapore) , Simon A. Morton (Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory) , Jiaren Yuan (National University of Singapore) , Lei Zhang (National University of Singapore) , Rebekah Chua (National University of Singapore) , Shengwei Zeng (NUSSNI-NanoCore, National University of Singapore;) , Er Liu (Nanjing University of Science and Technology) , Feng Xu (Nanjing University of Science and Technology) , Ariando Ariando (National University of Singapore) , Daniel H. C. Chua (National University of Singapore) , Yuan Ping Feng (National University of Singapore) , Gerrit Van Der Laan (Diamond Light Source) , Stephen J. Pennycook (National University of Singapore) , Ya Zhai (Southeast University) , Andrew T. S. Wee (National University of Singapore)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Acs Nano

State: Published (Approved)
Published: February 2019

Abstract: Ferromagnet/two-dimensional transition-metal dichalcogenide (FM/2D TMD) interfaces provide attractive opportunities to push magnetic information storage to the atomically thin limit. Existing work has focused on FMs contacted with mechanically exfoliated or chemically-vapor-deposition-grown TMDs, where clean interfaces cannot be guaranteed. Here, we report a reliable way to achieve contamination-free interfaces between ferromagnetic CoFeB and molecular-beam epitaxial MoSe2. We show a spin re-orientation arising from the interface, leading to a perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA), and reveal the CoFeB/2D MoSe2 interface allowing for the PMA development in a broader CoFeB thickness-range than common systems such as CoFeB/MgO. Using X-ray magnetic circular dichroism analysis, we attribute generation of this PMA to interfacial d-d hybridization, and deduce a general rule to enhance its magnitude. We also demonstrate favorable magnetic softness and considerable magnetic moment preserved at the interface, and theoretically predict the interfacial band matching for spin filtering. Our work highlights the CoFeB/2D MoSe2 interface as a promising platform for examination of TMD-based spintronic applications and might stimulate further development with other combination of FM/2D TMD interfaces.

Journal Keywords: two-dimensional materials; transition-metal dichalcogenides; spintronics; perpendicular magnetic anisotropy; x-ray magnetic circular dichroism; anisotropic orbital moment; interface

Diamond Keywords: Data Storage; Spintronics; Semiconductors; Ferromagnetism

Subject Areas: Materials, Physics, Information and Communication Technology

Facility: Singapore Synchrotron Light Source (SSLS)

Added On: 18/02/2019 10:03

Discipline Tags:

Quantum Materials Hard condensed matter - electronic properties Physics Electronics Components & Micro-systems Information & Communication Technologies Magnetism Materials Science

Technical Tags: