Writing and reading antiferromagnetic Mn2Au by Néel spin-orbit torques and large anisotropic magnetoresistance

Abstract

Using antiferromagnets as active elements in spintronics requires the ability to manipulate and read-out the Néel vector orientation. Here we demonstrate for Mn2Au, a good conductor with a high ordering temperature suitable for applications, reproducible switching using current pulse generated bulk spin-orbit torques and read-out by magnetoresistance measurements. Reversible and consistent changes of the longitudinal resistance and planar Hall voltage of star-patterned epitaxial Mn2Au(001) thin films were generated by pulse current densities of ≃107 A/cm2. The symmetry of the torques agrees with theoretical predictions and a large read-out magnetoresistance effect of more than ≃6% is reproduced by ab initio transport calculations.

Citation

Bodnar, S. Y., Šmejkal, L., Turek, I., Jungwirth, T., Gomonay, O., Sinova, J., …Jourdan, M. (2018). Writing and reading antiferromagnetic Mn2Au by Néel spin-orbit torques and large anisotropic magnetoresistance. Nature Communications, 9(1), Article 348. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-02780-x

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 26, 2017
• Online Publication Date: Jan 24, 2018
• Publication Date: 2018-12
• Deposit Date: Feb 27, 2020
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 27, 2020
• Journal: Nature Communications
• Electronic ISSN: 2041-1723
• Publisher: Nature Publishing Group
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 9
• Issue: 1
• Article Number: 348
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-017-02780-x
• Keywords: General Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology; General Physics and Astronomy; General Chemistry
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/4045056
• Publisher URL: https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-017-02780-x