Sunlight Control of Interfacial Magnetism for Solar Driven Spintronic Applications

The inexorable trend of next generation spintronics is to develop smaller, lighter, faster, and more energy efficient devices. Ultimately, spintronics driven by free energy, for example, solar power, is imperative. Here, a prototype photovoltaic spintronic device with an optical-magneto-electric tricoupled photovoltaic/magnetic thin film heterojunction, where magnetism can be manipulated directly by sunlight via interfacial effect, is proposed. The magnetic anisotropy is reduced evidenced by the out-of-plane ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) field change of 640.26 Oe under 150 mW cm⁻² illumination via in situ electron spin resonance (ESR) method. The transient absorption analysis and the first-principles calculation reveal that the photovoltaic electrons doping in the cobalt film alter the band filling of this ferromagnetic film. The findings provide a new path of electron doping control magnetism and demonstrate an optical-magnetic dual controllable logical switch with limited energy supply, which may further transform the landscape of spintronics research.