The ferromagnetic semiconductor (Ga,Mn)As has emerged as the most studied material for prototype applications in semiconductor spintronics. Because ferromagnetism in (Ga,Mn)As is hole-mediated, the nature of the hole states has direct and crucial bearing on its Curie temperature T(C). It is vigorously debated, however, whether holes in (Ga,Mn)As reside in the valence band or in an impurity band...

To design a multiferroic material at atomic scale, strong spin-lattice and charge-lattice couplings play crucial roles. Our first-principles calculation on (SrCoO3)1/(SrTiO3)1 superlattices, with above coupling properties, yields a rich physical phase diagram as a function of epitaxial strain. In particular, a robust ferroelectric ferromagnetic insulator of Pc symmetry is stabilized at tensile ...

In spintronic devices consisting of ferromagnetic/nonmagnetic systems, the ferromagnet-induced magnetic moment in the adjacent nonmagnetic material significantly influences the spin transport properties. In this study, such magnetic proximity effect in a Pd/Co/Pd trilayer system is investigated by x-ray magnetic circular dichroism and x-ray resonant magnetic reflectivity, which enables magnetic...

Layered magnetostrictive-piezoelectric structures are multifunctional due to their dual-responsiveness to mechanical and electromagnetic forces. Here, we discuss studies of magnetoelectric (ME) interactions in ferrite-lead zirconate titanate (PZT) and terfenol-PZT material couples. Key findings include: (1) the observation of a giant lowfrequency ME effect in the layered systems; (2) data analy...

Ferromagnetic vortex core switching is investigated using micromagnetic simulations. For that the OOMMF program is used together with a temperature extension we have developed recently. This is a continuum micromagnetic approach, where the well-known Landau Lifshitz Gilbert equation (valid for zero temperature) is replaced by the Landau Lifshitz Bloch equation. In our research we simulate switc...

We review pitfalls in recent efforts to make a conventional semiconductor, namely ZnO, ferromagnetic by means of doping with transition metal ions. Since the solubility of those elements is rather low, formation of secondary phases and the creation of defects upon low temperature processing can lead to unwanted magnetic effects. Among others, ion implantation is a method of doping, which is hig...

BiMnO3 is a promising multiferroic material but it's ferromagnetic TC is well below room temperature and the magnetic phase diagram is unknown. In this work, the relationship between magnetic transition temperature (TC) and the substrate induced (pseudo-) tetragonal distortion (ratio of out-of-plane to in-plane lattice parameters, c/a) in BiMnO3 thin films, lightly doped to optimize lattice dim...

Bulk layered transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) show diamagnetic properties. When exfoliated, the materials' band gap increases and changes from an indirect band gap to a direct one. During the exfoliation, the TMDs may undergo a phase transition from 2H to 1T polymorph, which is likely electronically driven and accompanied by a metal-insulator transition. A significantly higher efficiency...

Emerging for future spintronic/electronic applications, magnetic semiconductors have stimulated intense interest due to their promises for new functionalities and device concepts. So far, the so-called diluted magnetic semiconductors attract many attentions, yet it remains challenging to increase their Curie temperatures above room temperature, particularly those based on III-V semiconductors. ...