The Jeff=1/2 antiferromagnet Sr2IrO4: A golden avenue toward new physics and functions

Abstract

Iridates have been providing a fertile ground for studying emergent phases of matter that arise from delicate interplay of various fundamental interactions with approximate energy scale. Among these highly focused quantum materials, perovskite Sr2IrO4 belonging to the Ruddlesden-Popper series stands out and has been intensively addressed in the last decade, since it hosts a novel Jeff = 1/2 state which is a profound manifestation of strong spin-orbit coupling. Moreover, the Jeff = 1/2 state represents a rare example of iridates that has been better understood both theoretically and experimentally. In this progress report, we take Sr2IrO4 as an example to overview the recent advances of the Jeff = 1/2 state in two aspects: materials fundamentals and functionality potentials. In the fundamentals part, we first illustrate basic issues for the layered canted antiferromagnetic order of the Jeff = 1/2 magnetic moments in Sr2IrO4, and then review the progress of the antiferromagnetic order modulation through diverse routes. Subsequently, for the functionality potentials, fascinating properties such as atomic-scale giant magnetoresistance, anisotropic magnetoresistance, and nonvolatile memory, will be addressed. This report will be concluded with our prospected remarks and outlooks.

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• Magnetic couplings, optical spectra, and spin-orbit exciton in 5d electron Mott insulator Sr2IrO4
• Ab-initio GMR and current-induced torques in Au/Cr multilayers
• Giant anisotropic magnetoresistance and nonvolatile memory in canted antiferromagnet Sr2IrO4
• Crossover of conduction mechanism in Sr2IrO4 epitaxial thin films
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• Selective growth of epitaxial Sr2IrO4 by controlling plume dimensions in pulsed laser deposition
• Optical Signatures of Spin-Orbit Exciton in Bandwidth Controlled Sr${}_2$IrO${}_4$ Epitaxial Films via High-Concentration Ca and Ba Doping
• Structural evolution and electronic properties of (Sr1-xCax)2-yIrO4+z spin-orbit assisted insulators
• Tuning the electronic structure of Sr2IrO4 thin films by bulk electronic doping using molecular beam epitaxy
• Persistent large anisotropic magnetoresistance and insulator to metal transition in spin-orbit coupled antiferromagnets Sr2(Ir1-xGax)O4
• Compass Impurity Model of Tb Substitution in Sr2IrO4

Cited by in corpus (9)

• FeS2 monolayer: a high valence and high-$T_{\mathrm{C}}$ Ising ferromagnet
• Strain-dependent Insulating State and Kondo Effect in Epitaxial SrIrO${}_3$ Films
• Precise control of $J_{\mathrm{eff}}=1/2$ magnetic properties in Sr${}_2$IrO${}_4$ epitaxial thin films by variation of strain and thin film thickness
• Magnon Spectra of Cuprates beyond Spin Wave Theory
• Exotic magnetic anisotropy near digitized dimensional Mott boundary
• Distinct charge and spin recovery dynamics in a photo-excited Mott insulator
• High-pressure floating zone crystal growth of Sr${}_2$IrO${}_4$
• Microscopic model realization of $\mathbf{d}$-wave pseudospin current order in Sr${}_2$IrO${}_4$
• Structural origin of the Jeff=1/2 antiferromagnetic phase in Ga-doped Sr2IrO4