Rashba spin-orbit interaction induced modulation of magnetic anisotropy

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how Rashba spin-orbit coupling can be controlled in oxide heterostructures to significantly modify magnetic anisotropy and electronic properties, advancing spin-orbitronics technology.

Contribution

It reveals the tunability of Rashba SOC and magnetic anisotropy in CaMnO3/CaIrO3 heterostructures through charge transfer effects, with implications for spintronic applications.

Findings

Rashba SOC enhances anomalous Hall conductivity by two orders of magnitude.

Magnetization easy-axis switches from out-of-plane to in-plane due to Rashba SOC.

Interfacial Rashba SOC reconstructs Berry curvature, affecting electronic topology.

Abstract

In past few decades, Rashba spin-orbit coupling (SOC) has been successfully employed for the emergence of exotic phenomena at the quantum oxide interfaces. In these systems, the combined effect of charge transfer, broken symmetries and SOC yields intriguing interfacial magnetism and transport properties. Here, we provide an insight to control and tune interfacial phenomena in CaMnO3/CaIrO3 based 3d-5d oxide heterostructures by the charge transfer driven Rashba SOC. Anomalous Hall effect in these canted antiferromagnetic heterostructures originates from the intrinsic contribution associated with the topology of the electronic band structure and it is mostly confined to the interface. Rashba SOC reconstructs the Berry curvature and enhances the anomalous Hall conductivity by two orders of magnitude. From the anisotropy magnetoresistance measurements we demonstrate that Rashba SOC is instrumental in tailoring magnetic anisotropy where magnetization easy-axis rotates from the out-of-plane direction to the in-plane direction. The ability to tune Rashba SOC and resulting competing magnetic anisotropy provides a route to manipulate electronic band structure for the origin of non-trivial spin texture useful for spin-orbitronics applications.