Bidirectional magnetization switching of a ferrimagnetic insulator with monochiral molecules

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates bidirectional magnetization switching in ferrimagnetic insulator TmIG using a single chirality molecule, expanding the understanding of chiral-induced spin selectivity for low-power spintronic applications.

Contribution

It reveals that a single chirality molecule can induce bidirectional switching in ferrimagnetic insulators via CISS, a novel application of chiral molecules in spintronics.

Findings

Switching is associated with interactions at Fe sublattices.

Single chirality molecule enables bidirectional switching.

Versatility of CISS in ferrimagnets demonstrated.

Abstract

Recent studies have demonstrated that magnetization switching in ferromagnets can be achieved through adsorbing chiral molecules on the surface without the need for current or external magnetic fields, offering a low-power mechanism for applications in spintronic devices. Opposite chirality molecules cause opposite direction reversals of magnetization through the chiral-induced spin selectivity (CISS) mechanism. In this study, we demonstrate bidirectional magnetization switching in thin films of ferrimagnetic insulator TmIG using a single chirality molecule - a Cu metallopolymer of d-leucine. Through UV-VIS circular dichroism and X-ray absorption spectroscopy, we determined that switching between different magnetic orientations is associated with interactions of the d-leucine with the two distinct sublattices of the Fe ions in the TmIG, at octahedral and tetrahedral sites. Our study demonstrates the unexpected versatility of the CISS mechanism for magnetization switching in ferrimagnets using single chirality materials, thereby expanding the potential applications of chiral molecule adsorption-induced magnetization flipping.