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Octupole-driven magnetoresistance in an antiferromagnetic tunnel junction

Author

Listed:
  • Xianzhe Chen

    (University of Tokyo
    University of Tokyo)

  • Tomoya Higo

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

  • Katsuhiro Tanaka

    (University of Tokyo)

  • Takuya Nomoto

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

  • Hanshen Tsai

    (University of Tokyo
    University of Tokyo)

  • Hiroshi Idzuchi

    (University of Tokyo
    University of Tokyo)

  • Masanobu Shiga

    (University of Tokyo)

  • Shoya Sakamoto

    (University of Tokyo)

  • Ryoya Ando

    (University of Tokyo)

  • Hidetoshi Kosaki

    (University of Tokyo)

  • Takumi Matsuo

    (University of Tokyo)

  • Daisuke Nishio-Hamane

    (University of Tokyo)

  • Ryotaro Arita

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

  • Shinji Miwa

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

  • Satoru Nakatsuji

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

Abstract

The tunnelling electric current passing through a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) is strongly dependent on the relative orientation of magnetizations in ferromagnetic electrodes sandwiching an insulating barrier, rendering efficient readout of spintronics devices1–5. Thus, tunnelling magnetoresistance (TMR) is considered to be proportional to spin polarization at the interface1 and, to date, has been studied primarily in ferromagnets. Here we report observation of TMR in an all-antiferromagnetic tunnel junction consisting of Mn3Sn/MgO/Mn3Sn (ref. 6). We measured a TMR ratio of around 2% at room temperature, which arises between the parallel and antiparallel configurations of the cluster magnetic octupoles in the chiral antiferromagnetic state. Moreover, we carried out measurements using a Fe/MgO/Mn3Sn MTJ and show that the sign and direction of anisotropic longitudinal spin-polarized current in the antiferromagnet7 can be controlled by octupole direction. Strikingly, the TMR ratio (about 2%) of the all-antiferromagnetic MTJ is much larger than that estimated using the observed spin polarization. Theoretically, we found that the chiral antiferromagnetic MTJ may produce a substantially large TMR ratio as a result of the time-reversal, symmetry-breaking polarization characteristic of cluster magnetic octupoles. Our work lays the foundation for the development of ultrafast and efficient spintronic devices using antiferromagnets8–10.

Suggested Citation

  • Xianzhe Chen & Tomoya Higo & Katsuhiro Tanaka & Takuya Nomoto & Hanshen Tsai & Hiroshi Idzuchi & Masanobu Shiga & Shoya Sakamoto & Ryoya Ando & Hidetoshi Kosaki & Takumi Matsuo & Daisuke Nishio-Hamane, 2023. "Octupole-driven magnetoresistance in an antiferromagnetic tunnel junction," Nature, Nature, vol. 613(7944), pages 490-495, January.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:nature:v:613:y:2023:i:7944:d:10.1038_s41586-022-05463-w
    DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-05463-w
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    Cited by:

    1. 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.

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