Epitaxial growth of complex oxide thin films and heterostructures for the next generation of spintronic devices

PhD Candidate: Shoulong Chen

Date: Friday, 10 October 2025
Time: 11.30 AM
Venue: Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB, CSIC) - Sala d'Actes Carles Miravitlles

Abstract

My doctoral research focuses on spin transport in complex oxide heterostructures, particularly La₂/₃Sr₁/₃MnO₃/NiO/Pt trilayers grown on SrTiO₃ substrates. I systematically investigated the structural quality, interfacial coupling, and orientation-dependent spin transparency of epitaxial and polycrystalline NiO thin films. Spin pumping combined with inverse spin Hall effect detection revealed thickness- and temperature-dependent spin conduction, highlighting the crucial role of crystalline orientation in spin diffusion.

These experiments also clarified how interfacial conditions govern spin transparency across ferromagnet/antiferromagnet/normal-metal junctions. The findings provide fundamental insights into antiferromagnetic spin transport and interfacial engineering, offering design guidelines for efficient spintronic devices based on oxide heterostructures.

Supervisors

• Benjamín Martínez, ICMAB-CSIC, Spain
• Narcís Mestres, ICMAB-CSIC, Spain

PhD Committee

• President: Francisco Javier Palomares Simón, ICMM, Spain
• Secretary: Anna Palau, ICMAB-CSIC, Spain
• Vocal: Regina Galceran Vercher, UB, Spain

University: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)

PhD Programme: Materials Science