Intrinsic Magnetic (EuIn)As Nanowire Shells with a Unique Crystal Structure

Nano Lett. 2022 Nov 23;22(22):8925-8931. doi: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.2c03012. Epub 2022 Nov 7.

Abstract

In the pursuit of magneto-electronic systems nonstoichiometric magnetic elements commonly introduce disorder and enhance magnetic scattering. We demonstrate the growth of (EuIn)As shells, with a unique crystal structure comprised of a dense net of Eu inversion planes, over InAs and InAs1-xSbx core nanowires. This is imaged with atomic and elemental resolution which reveal a prismatic configuration of the Eu planes. The results are supported by molecular dynamics simulations. Local magnetic and susceptibility mappings show magnetic response in all nanowires, while a subset bearing a DC signal points to ferromagnetic order. These provide a mechanism for enhancing Zeeman responses, operational at zero applied magnetic field. Such properties suggest that the obtained structures can serve as a preferred platform for time-reversal symmetry broken one-dimensional states including intrinsic topological superconductivity.

Keywords: (EuIn)As; Eu inversion plane; core−shell; magnetic; mosaic structure; nanowires.