Thin Films via Ferroelectric Gating*

SrIrO₃ (SIO) is paramagnetic, semimetallic and with nontrivial topological properties. Its strongly correlated nature and large spin-orbital coupling (SOC) make SIO a promising material candidate for spintronic applications. As a feature of strong SOC, weak anti-localization, manifested as negative quantum interference correction to the conductance, has been observed at low temperatures. We have extracted inelastic scattering and spin precession length, which show distinct temperature dependences. Moreover, the linear mobility dependence of spin precession time points to Elliott-Yafet mechanism as the dominant spin relaxation mechanism. By fabricating the PbZr_0.2Ti_0.8O₃ (PZT)/SIO (∼2 nm) heterostructures, we have demonstrated nonvolatile resistance change in SIO via switching the polarization of PZT. The onset temperature of resistance upturn due to weak localization is also modulated by ferroelectric field effect, with a 10 K shift observed. The modulation of the magnetoresistance indicates the change of SOC strength in SIO. Our results demonstrate a feasible way to manipulating SOC at the interface of oxides heterostructures.