Interfacial Rashba-Effect-Induced Anisotropy in Nonmagnetic-Material-Ferrimagnetic-Insulator Bilayers.

Abstract

Interfacial magnetic anisotropy in magnetic insulators has been largely unexplored. Recently, interface-induced skyrmions and electrical control of magnetization have been discovered in insulator-based heterostructures, which demand a thorough understanding of interfacial interactions in these materials. We observe a substantial, tunable interfacial magnetic anisotropy between Tm_{3}Fe_{5}O_{12} epitaxial thin films and fifteen nonmagnetic materials spanning a significant portion of the periodic table, which we attribute to Rashba spin-orbit coupling. Our results show a clear distinction between nonmagnetic capping layers from the d block and the p block. This work offers a new path for controlling magnetic phases in magnetic insulators for low-loss spintronic applications.