Observation of Devil's Staircase in the Novel Spin Valve System SrCo$_6$O$_{11}$

TL;DR

This study observes a magnetic devil's staircase phenomenon in SrCo6O11, revealing complex spin orders and transitions induced by magnetic fields, which contribute to its unique magnetoresistance properties.

Contribution

It reports the first observation of a magnetic devil's staircase in SrCo6O11 and links it to spin valve effects, introducing a novel magnetoresistance system.

Findings

Multiple nearly degenerate magnetic orders identified.

Magnetic field induces transitions between spin configurations.

The system exhibits a magnetic devil's staircase phenomenon.

Abstract

Using resonant soft x-ray scattering as a function of both temperature and magnetic field, we reveal a large number of almost degenerate magnetic orders in SrCo6O11. The Ising-like spins in this frustrated material in fact exhibit a so-called magnetic devil's staircase. It is demonstrated how a magnetic field induces transitions between different microscopic spin configurations, which is responsible for the magnetoresistance of SrCo6O11. This material therefore constitutes a unique combination of a magnetic devil's staircase and spin valve effects, yielding a novel type of magnetoresistance system.