Scanning Probe Manipulation of Magnetism at the LaAlO3/SrTiO3 Heterointerface

• Published in: Nano letters Vol. 12; no. 8; pp. 4055 - 4059
• Main Authors: Kalisky, Beena, Bert, Julie A, Bell, Christopher, Xie, Yanwu, Sato, Hiroki K, Hosoda, Masayuki, Hikita, Yasuyuki, Hwang, Harold Y, Moler, Kathryn A
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington, DC American Chemical Society 08.08.2012
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Exact sciences and technology; Magnetic properties and materials; Mesoscopic and nanoscale systems; Physics; Small particles and nanoscale materials; Studies of specific magnetic materials; Superconducting films and low-dimensional structures; Superconductivity; Heterointerfaces; magnetism; scanning SQUID microscopy; complex oxides; Aluminium oxide; Lanthanum aluminate; J-J coupling; Superconductivity; Ferromagnetic materials; Strontium titanates; Surface treatments; Heterointerface; Heterostructures; Lanthanum oxide
• ISSN: 1530-6984; 1530-6992
• DOI: 10.1021/nl301451e

Manipulation of magnetism is a longstanding goal of research in exotic materials. In this work, we demonstrate that the small ferromagnetic patches in LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterostructures can be dramatically changed by in situ contact of a scanning probe. Our results provide a platform for manipulation of small magnets through either a strong magneto-elastic coupling or sensitivity to surface modification. The ability to locally control magnetism is particularly interesting due to the presence of superconductivity with strong spin–orbit coupling in LaAlO3/SrTiO3.