Intrinsic Magnetism and Field‐Driven Spin Alignment in NiI 2 Revealed by X‐ray Magnetic Spectroscopy
physica status solidi - Rapid Research Letters Wiley (2025) 2500130
Abstract:
This study investigates the intrinsic magnetism and field‐driven spin alignment in NiI2 using X‐ray absorption spectroscopy and X‐ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD). NiI2, a van der Waals material, exhibits helimagnetic and type‐II multiferroic behavior. This study reveals robust XMCD signals across paramagnetic, antiferromagnetic, and helimagnetic phases under applied out‐of‐plane fields up to 6 T, while no net moment emerges at zero field. Atomic multiplet calculations confirm a covalent Ni 3d ground state with a significantly reduced spin moment. The results establish the intrinsic nature of NiI2's magnetism and clarify its field‐driven spin alignment mechanism. This comprehensive spectroscopic characterization lays the foundation for future applications of NiI2 in advanced spintronic and multiferroic devices, despite challenges posed by its low transition temperature in the monolayer limit. Future research should focus on enhancing its critical temperature through doping, strain engineering, or heterostructure fabrication.Magnetotransport Measurements in Overdoped Mn:Bi2Te3 Thin Films
Crystals MDPI 15:6 (2025) 557-557
Tunable chiral magneto-transport through band structure engineering in magnetic topological insulators Mn(Bi1-xSbx)₂Te₄
Science advances 11:20 (2025) eadt6084-eadt6084
Abstract:
Berry curvature and spin texture are representative tuning parameters that govern spin-orbit coupling-related physics and are also the foundation for future device applications. Here, we investigate the impact of the Sb-to-Bi ratio on shaping the electronic band structure and its correlated first- and second-harmonic magneto-transport signals in the intrinsic magnetic topological insulator Mn(Bi1-xSbx)2Te4. First-principles calculations reveal that the introduction of Sb not only triggers a topological phase transition but also changes the integral of the Berry curvature at the shifted Fermi level, which leads to the reversal of the anomalous Hall resistance polarity for Sb fractions x > 0.67. Moreover, it also induces the opposite spin splitting of the valence bands compared to the Sb-free host, and the resulting clockwise/counterclockwise spin chirality gives rise to a tunable unidirectional second-harmonic anomalous Hall response. Our findings pave the way for constructing chiral spin-orbitronic devices through band structure engineering.Unusually High Occupation of Co 3d State in Magnetic Weyl Semimetal Co₃Sn₂S₂
ACS nano 19:9 (2025) 8561-8570
Abstract:
The physical properties of magnetic topological materials are strongly influenced by their nontrivial band topology coupled with the magnetic structure. Co3Sn2S2 is a ferromagnetic kagome Weyl semimetal displaying giant intrinsic anomalous Hall effect which can be further tuned via elemental doping, such as Ni substitution for Co. Despite significant interest, the exact valency of Co and the magnetic order of the Ni dopants remained unclear. Here, we report a study of Ni-doped Co3Sn2S2 single crystals using synchrotron-based X-ray magnetic circular dichroism (XMCD), X-ray photoelectron emission microscopy (XPEEM), and hard/soft X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS) techniques. We confirm the presence of spin-dominated magnetism from Co in the host material, and also the establishment of ferromagnetic order from the Ni dopant. The oxygen-free photoemission spectrum of the Co 2p core levels in the crystal well resembles that of a metallic Co film, indicating a Co0+ valency. Surprisingly, we find the electron filling in the Co 3d state can reach 8.7-9.0 electrons in these single crystals. Our results highlight the importance of element-specific X-ray spectroscopy in understanding the electronic and magnetic properties that are fundamental to a heavily studied Weyl semimetal, which could aid in developing future spintronic applications based on magnetic topological materials.Magnetic x-ray spectroscopy of Gd-doped EuO thin films
Physical Review Materials American Physical Society 9 (2025) 024410