Atomic origin of room-temperature two-dimensional itinerant ferromagnetism in an oxide-monolayer heterostructure

Materials with room-temperature two-dimensional itinerant ferromagnetism enable ultracompact device density and quantum computing in next-generation nano-spintronics. Among numerous candidates, perovskite-based heterostructures have offered an excellent platform to manipulate spin-orbital-charge coupling, unveiling a series of emergent spin-dependent phenomena. In this work, we have fulfilled a robust room-temperature soft ferromagnetism together with a metallic characteristic based on a high quality SrRuO3-monolayer-based superlattice. Further examination on this short-range ferromagnetism has been carried out by synchrotron-related spectroscopy, where charge-transfer-induced antiferromagnetic coupling between partial Ru and Ti ions have been found. Although such local antiferromagnetic coupling would break long range ferromagnetic order, it simultaneously stabilize the localized intralayer ferromagnetic order in the SrRu0 3 monolayers, which is confirmed by theoretical calculations. Our study not only represents a methodological advance of achieving fantastic magnetic properties in functional oxide monolayer, but is promising to unlock new opportunities for oxide-based spintronic devices toward room-temperature applications. (C) 2021 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Automated summary

This study achieved robust room-temperature soft ferromagnetism and metallic characteristics in a high-quality SrRuO3 monolayer-based superlattice. The findings of local antiferromagnetic coupling between partial Ru and Ti ions not only break long-range ferromagnetic order, but also stabilize the intralayer ferromagnetic order in the SrRuO3 monolayers.