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Perpendicular full switching of chiral antiferromagnetic order by current

Author

Listed:
  • Tomoya Higo

    (University of Tokyo
    CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency)

  • Kouta Kondou

    (CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency
    Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS), RIKEN)

  • Takuya Nomoto

    (University of Tokyo
    PREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency)

  • Masanobu Shiga

    (University of Tokyo)

  • Shoya Sakamoto

    (University of Tokyo)

  • Xianzhe Chen

    (University of Tokyo)

  • Daisuke Nishio-Hamane

    (University of Tokyo)

  • Ryotaro Arita

    (CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency
    Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS), RIKEN
    University of Tokyo)

  • Yoshichika Otani

    (CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency
    Center for Emergent Matter Science (CEMS), RIKEN
    University of Tokyo
    University of Tokyo)

  • Shinji Miwa

    (CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency
    University of Tokyo
    University of Tokyo)

  • Satoru Nakatsuji

    (University of Tokyo
    CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency
    University of Tokyo
    University of Tokyo)

Abstract

Electrical control of a magnetic state of matter lays the foundation for information technologies and for understanding of spintronic phenomena. Spin–orbit torque provides an efficient mechanism for the electrical manipulation of magnetic orders1–11. In particular, spin–orbit torque switching of perpendicular magnetization in nanoscale ferromagnetic bits has enabled the development of stable, reliable and low-power memories and computation12–14. Likewise, for antiferromagnetic spintronics, electrical bidirectional switching of an antiferromagnetic order in a perpendicular geometry may have huge impacts, given its potential advantage for high-density integration and ultrafast operation15,16. Here we report the experimental realization of perpendicular and full spin–orbit torque switching of an antiferromagnetic binary state. We use the chiral antiferromagnet Mn3Sn (ref. 17), which exhibits the magnetization-free anomalous Hall effect owing to a ferroic order of a cluster magnetic octupole hosted in its chiral antiferromagnetic state18. We fabricate heavy-metal/Mn3Sn heterostructures by molecular beam epitaxy and introduce perpendicular magnetic anisotropy of the octupole using an epitaxial in-plane tensile strain. By using the anomalous Hall effect as the readout, we demonstrate 100 per cent switching of the perpendicular octupole polarization in a 30-nanometre-thick Mn3Sn film with a small critical current density of less than 15 megaamperes per square centimetre. Our theory reveals that the perpendicular geometry between the polarization directions of current-induced spin accumulation and of the octupole persistently maximizes the spin–orbit torque efficiency during the deterministic bidirectional switching process. Our work provides a significant basis for antiferromagnetic spintronics.

Suggested Citation

  • Tomoya Higo & Kouta Kondou & Takuya Nomoto & Masanobu Shiga & Shoya Sakamoto & Xianzhe Chen & Daisuke Nishio-Hamane & Ryotaro Arita & Yoshichika Otani & Shinji Miwa & Satoru Nakatsuji, 2022. "Perpendicular full switching of chiral antiferromagnetic order by current," Nature, Nature, vol. 607(7919), pages 474-479, July.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:607:y:2022:i:7919:d:10.1038_s41586-022-04864-1
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04864-1
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    Citations

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    Cited by:

    1. Dongsheng Yang & Taeheon Kim & Kyusup Lee & Chang Xu & Yakun Liu & Fei Wang & Shishun Zhao & Dushyant Kumar & Hyunsoo Yang, 2024. "Spin-orbit torque manipulation of sub-terahertz magnons in antiferromagnetic α-Fe2O3," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.
    2. Zhenyi Zheng & Tao Zeng & Tieyang Zhao & Shu Shi & Lizhu Ren & Tongtong Zhang & Lanxin Jia & Youdi Gu & Rui Xiao & Hengan Zhou & Qihan Zhang & Jiaqi Lu & Guilei Wang & Chao Zhao & Huihui Li & Beng Kan, 2024. "Effective electrical manipulation of a topological antiferromagnet by orbital torques," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.
    3. Chung-Tao Chou & Supriya Ghosh & Brooke C. McGoldrick & Thanh Nguyen & Gautam Gurung & Evgeny Y. Tsymbal & Mingda Li & K. Andre Mkhoyan & Luqiao Liu, 2024. "Large Spin Polarization from symmetry-breaking Antiferromagnets in Antiferromagnetic Tunnel Junctions," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.
    4. Nathan C. Drucker & Thanh Nguyen & Fei Han & Phum Siriviboon & Xi Luo & Nina Andrejevic & Ziming Zhu & Grigory Bednik & Quynh T. Nguyen & Zhantao Chen & Linh K. Nguyen & Tongtong Liu & Travis J. Willi, 2023. "Topology stabilized fluctuations in a magnetic nodal semimetal," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-9, December.
    5. Qingkai Meng & Jianting Dong & Pan Nie & Liangcai Xu & Jinhua Wang & Shan Jiang & Huakun Zuo & Jia Zhang & Xiaokang Li & Zengwei Zhu & Leon Balents & Kamran Behnia, 2024. "Magnetostriction, piezomagnetism and domain nucleation in a Kagome antiferromagnet," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-10, December.
    6. Hidetoshi Masuda & Takeshi Seki & Jun-ichiro Ohe & Yoichi Nii & Hiroto Masuda & Koki Takanashi & Yoshinori Onose, 2024. "Room temperature chirality switching and detection in a helimagnetic MnAu2 thin film," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-8, December.

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