Nanoscale Magnetic Domains in Polycrystalline Mn₃Sn Films Imaged by a Scanning Single-Spin Magnetometer

Abstract

Noncollinear antiferromagnets with novel magnetic orders, vanishingly small net magnetization, and exotic spin related properties hold enormous promise for developing next-generation, transformative spintronic applications. A major ongoing research focus of this community is to explore, control, and harness unconventional magnetic phases of this emergent material system to deliver state-of-the-art functionalities for modern microelectronics. Here we report direct imaging of magnetic domains of polycrystalline Mn3Sn films, a prototypical noncollinear antiferromagnet, using nitrogen-vacancy-based single-spin scanning microscopy. Nanoscale evolution of local stray field patterns of Mn3Sn samples are systematically investigated in response to external driving forces, revealing the characteristic “heterogeneous” magnetic switching behaviors in polycrystalline textured Mn3Sn films. Our results contribute to a comprehensive understanding of inhomogeneous magnetic orders of noncollinear antiferromagnets, highlighting the potential of nitrogen-vacancy centers to study microscopic spin properties of a broad range of emergent condensed matter systems.

Magneto-Transport and Enhanced Spin-Polarized Photo Response in Solution-Processed Vertically Aligned Zn0.9Ni0.1O Nanowires

“…Spintronics, which harnesses both the charge and spin of electrons, has emerged as a promising field for next-generation electronic and information-processing devices. While various materials have been explored for spintronic applications, it is crucial to highlight the unique advantages offered by ZnO films [1][2][3]. Firstly, ZnO is a direct wide-bandgap semiconductor, making it well-suited for efficient charge carrier injection and transport in spintronic devices.…”