Defect-assisted ion transport in magneto-ionic functional oxides and nitrides probed by positrons

Magneto-ionics deals with a class of spintronic materials where the external electrical field induces ion migration and leads to a raise of magnetization as a consequence of magnetic species local segregations or increased magnetic interactions between them. Since this ion transport is activated by the voltage actuation, no large electrical currents are required and heat dissipation processes are mostly negligible. Moreover, by simply reversing the direction of the voltage bias, the generated ferromagnetic state is brought back to its original magnetic configuration, which realizes the magnetic switch concept. Using magnetometry and electron microscopy supported with positron annihilation spectroscopy techniques, oxides (Co3O4) and different nitrides (CoN and FeN) have been investigated, which are promising candidates for fast magneto-ionic switching. Positron annihilation spectroscopy provides a unique probe of open volume defects, e.g. dislocations, vacancies within crystal and at interfaces, vacancy agglomerations at grain boundaries, macro- and mesopores and it was successfully utilized to study the defect nanostructure here. We first present electrolyte-gated and defect-mediated oxygen migration in single-layer, paramagnetic Co3O4 at room temperature, which allows voltage-controlled ON-OFF magnetic switching via internal reduction/oxidation processes [1]. Here, the bias-induced motion of oxygen ions is caused by dominant vacancy clusters, with oxygen motion promoted at grain boundaries and assisted by the development of O-rich diffusion channels and Co-rich grain inner regions. In the case of nitrides, on the other hand, nitrogen transport is found to occur uniformly throughout the film, creating a plane-wave-like migration front, without assistance of diffusion channels [2,3]. Using positrons as a probe, we will show that the initial average open volume is larger compared to oxides, which likely governs the migration process and allows, moreover, for enhanced switching rates and cyclability as well as lower threshold voltages.
[1] A. Quintana, E. Menéndez, M. O. Liedke et al., ACS Nano, Vol. 12, p. 10291 (2018)
[2] J. de Rojas, A. Quintana, A. Lopeandía et al., Nature Communications, Vol. 11, p. 5871 (2020)
[3] J. de Rojas, J. Salguero, F. Ibrahim et al. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces Vol. 13, p. 30826 (2021)