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  • Open Access

Theory of nonlinear magnetoelectric transport effects in normal metal–magnetic insulator heterostructures

Oliver Franke and Piet W. Brouwer

  • Dahlem Center for Complex Quantum Systems and Physics Department, Freie Universität Berlin, Arnimallee 14, 14195 Berlin, Germany

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Phys. Rev. B 113, 014420 – Published 14 January, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/h2dw-w3xg

Abstract

Heterostructures of normal metals (N) and magnetic insulators (F) show paradigmatic effects, such as spin-Hall magnetoresistance and electric drag currents. These effects are linear in the applied electric field E(ω). Normal metal–magnetic insulator heterostructures also exhibit a characteristic nonlinear response quadratic in E(ω), referred to as unidirectional spin-Hall magnetoresistance or spin-torque diode effect. In this article, we develop a theory of the bilinear response of FN bilayers and NFN trilayers for finite frequencies ω of the driving field and for four contributions that have been previously considered in the literature: Joule heating, phononmediated unidirectional magnetoresistance, the spin-torque diode effect, and magnonic unidirectional spin-Hall magnetoresistance. We identify their distinct dependencies on frequency and the magnetization direction of the magnetic insulator and examine their scaling with magnetic field and system geometry, providing a framework for experimental differentiation.

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Magnon-mediated electric current drag and nonlocal spin-Peltier effect in the ac regime

Oliver Franke, Duje Akrap, and Piet W. Brouwer
Phys. Rev. B 113, 014419 (2026)

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Phys. Rev. B 113, 014420– Published 14 January, 2026
  • Received 26 August 2024
  • Revised 5 August 2025
  • Accepted 9 December 2025
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