Electrical Control of Structural and Physical Properties via Strong Spin-Orbit Interactions in Sr2IrO4

Abstract

Electrical control of structural and physical properties is a long-sought, but elusive goal of contemporary science and technology. We demonstrate that a combination of strong spin-orbit interactions (SOI) and a canted antiferromagnetic (AFM) Mott state is sufficient to attain that goal. The AFM insulator Sr2IrO4 provides a model system in which strong SOI lock canted Ir magnetic moments to IrO6-octahedra, causing them to rigidly rotate together. A novel coupling between an applied electrical current and the canting angle reduces the Néel temperature and drives a large, non-linear lattice expansion that closely tracks the magnetization, increases the electron mobility, and precipitates a unique resistive switching effect. Our observations open new avenues for understanding fundamental physics driven by strong SOI in condensed matter, and provide a new paradigm for functional materials and devices.

5 figures; to be published in Physical Review Letters

References in corpus (4)

• Mott Insulators in the Strong Spin-Orbit Coupling Limit: From Heisenberg to a Quantum Compass and Kitaev Models
• Novel Jeff = 1/2 Mott State Induced by Relativistic Spin-Orbit Coupling in Sr2IrO4
• The magnetic and crystal structures of Sr2IrO4: A neutron diffraction study
• A structural distortion induced magneto-elastic locking in Sr${}_2$IrO${}_4$ revealed through nonlinear optical harmonic generation

Cited by in corpus (8)

• Strain-engineering of the charge and spin-orbital interactions in Sr2IrO4
• Chemical bonding and Born charge in 1T-HfS${}_2$
• Lattice frustration in spin-orbit Mott insulator Sr3Ir2O7 at high pressure
• Anomalous Magnetoresistance due to Longitudinal Spin Fluctuations in a Jeff = 1/2 Mott Semiconductor
• Optical Signature of a Crossover from Mott- to Slater-type Gap in Sr${}_2$Ir${}_{1-x}$Rh${}_x$O${}_4$
• Pseudospin-lattice coupling and electric control of the square-lattice iridate Sr2IrO4
• Towards Electrical-Current Control of Quantum States in Spin-Orbit-Coupled Matter
• In situ control of diamagnetism by electric current in Ca${}_3$(Ru${}_{1-x}$Ti${}_x$)${}_2$O${}_7$