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

• Published in: Nature communications 2018-01, Vol.9 (1), p.1-7, Article 348
• Main Authors: Bodnar, S. Yu, Šmejkal, L., Turek, I., Jungwirth, T., Gomonay, O., Sinova, J., Sapozhnik, A. A., Elmers, H.-J., Kläui, M., Jourdan, M.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 639/301/1005/1007; 639/766/119/1001; Antiferromagnetism; Conductors; Crystal structure; Dependent sample; Electromagnetism; Experiments; Humanities and Social Sciences; Magnetism; Magnetoresistance; Magnetoresistivity; Molecular beam epitaxy; multidisciplinary; Physics; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Spintronics; Thin films; Torque; Writing
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-017-02780-x

Using antiferromagnets as active elements in spintronics requires the ability to manipulate and read-out the Néel vector orientation. Here we demonstrate for Mn 2 Au, 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 Mn 2 Au(001) thin films were generated by pulse current densities of ≃10 7  A/cm 2 . 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. The zero net moment of antiferromagnets makes them insensitive to magnetic fields and enables ultrafast dynamics promising for novel spintronics. Here the authors achieved pulse current induced Néel vector switching in Mn 2 Au(001) epitaxial thin films, which is associated with a large magnetoresistive effect allowing simple read-out.