Emergent Magnetic Fan Structures in Manganite Homojunction Arrays.

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science
• Magnetism

Background:

• Tunable magnetic noncollinearity is crucial for superconducting electronics and spintronics.
• Existing devices often require complex epitaxial integration of multiple materials.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate magnetic properties of La_1-x Sr_x MnO₃ homojunction arrays.
• To explore the potential of simple oxide homojunctions for tunable complex magnetism.

Main Methods:

• Spin-polarized neutron reflectometry measurements.
• Fabrication of La_1-x Sr_x MnO₃ homojunction arrays with modulated Sr concentration.

Main Results:

• Discovery of magnetic fan structures with highly noncollinear Mn spin alignment.
• Observation of emergent periodicity twice the array's unit cell.
• Demonstration of tunable noncollinearity using low magnetic fields.

Conclusions:

• Oxide homojunctions offer a chemically and structurally simple platform for tunable complex magnetism.
• These findings present a promising design element for future spintronic devices.