Experimental setup for electrical transport measurement on the pyrochlore heterostructure, and STM image near the interface of EIO/DTO.
Invention Summary:
In advanced electronics and quantum technologies, there is a growing demand for materials that offer highly tunable, low-power, and robust quantum states for applications such as magnetic sensing, spintronics, and quantum computing.
Rutgers researchers have developed a novel synthesis technique that combines solid-phase epitaxy (SPE) with pulsed laser deposition (PLD). This hybrid method enables the creation of atomically sharp, stoichiometrically precise, and ultra-flat interfaces between Weyl semimetal Eu₂Ir₂O₇ (EIO) and spin ice Dy₂Ti₂O₇ (DTO), two pyrochlore oxides with complementary quantum properties. DTO (a titanate) is already used in industrial applications such as capacitors and sensors. This platform builds on that familiarity by integrating iridates, which bring topologically protected surface states and strong spin-orbit coupling into the mix, ideal for next-generation quantum devices. The ability to integrate these materials into a single, scalable platform opens new possibilities for engineered quantum heterostructures. The resulting heterostructure exhibits field-tunable electronic anisotropy and rotational symmetry breaking, with sixfold and twofold magnetoresistance anisotropy observed under magnetic fields. These effects are attributed to Kondo-like coupling between the spin ice magnetism of DTO and the Weyl surface states of EIO, offering a new platform for field-tunable quantum devices.
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Intellectual Property & Development Status: Provisional application filed. Patent pending. Available for licensing and/or research collaboration. For any business development and other collaborative partnerships, contact: marketingbd@research.rutgers.edu