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    Interfacial Spin-Orbit Coupling Induced Room Temperature Ferromagnetic Insulator

    Yuhao Hong1,2, Shilin Hu1, Ziyue Shen1, Chao Deng3, Xiaodong Zhang3, Lei Wang1, Long Wei1, Qinghua Zhang4, Lingfei Wang5 et al.

    Liang Si3,6,7,*, Yulin Gan1,†, Kai Chen1,‡, and Zhaoliang Liao1,§

    • *Contact author: siliang@nwu.edu.cn
    • †Contact author: ylgan@ustc.edu.cn
    • ‡Contact author: kaichen2021@ustc.edu.cn
    • §Contact author: zliao@ustc.edu.cn

    Phys. Rev. Lett. 136, 076302 – Published 18 February, 2026

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/dxdt-lpbr

    Abstract

    Fabricating room-temperature ferromagnetic insulators, which are crucial candidates for next-generation dissipation-free quantum and spintronic devices, remains a significant challenge. In this Letter, we report on the epitaxial synthesis of novel room-temperature ferromagnetic insulating thin films created through the precise construction of (111)-oriented 3d/5d interfaces. Our analysis indicates that, unlike conventional doping methods, the (111)-oriented SrIrO3/La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 (SIO/LSMO) interfaces exhibit markedly enhanced spin-orbit coupling. This enhanced interfacial spin-orbit coupling strengthens the electron-phonon coupling in LSMO, thereby shortening the electronic mean free path. As a result, the intrinsic metallicity of LSMO is suppressed, giving rise to a new ferromagnetic insulating phase that emerges between the ferromagnetic metal and paramagnetic insulator regimes of the LSMO phase diagram. Furthermore, the temperature window of the ferromagnetic insulating phase can be tuned by precisely controlling the thickness of the LSMO layers. Our Letter reveals a new strategy for developing ferromagnetic insulators by engineering 3d/5d interfaces and orientations, paving a way for the development of novel dissipation-free quantum and spintronic devices.

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