Identifying Switching of Antiferromagnets by Spin-Orbit Torques

2024/12/20 by Martin Jourdan, Jourdan, Martin, Jonathan Bläßer +20 · 1 citation
Engineering · Physics and Astronomy · #Applied Physics (physics.app-ph) #FOS: Physical sciences #Magnetic Field Sensors Techniques #Magnetic properties of thin films #Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall) #Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism

paper · pdf · doi:10.48550/arxiv.2412.15885

openalex publication_date 2024/12/20 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/28

Abstract

Antiferromagnets are promising candidates for ultrafast spintronic applications, leveraging current-induced spin-orbit torques. However, experimentally distinguishing between different switching mechanisms of the staggered magnetization (Néel vector) driven by current pulses remains a challenge. In an exemplary study of the collinear antiferromagnetic compound Mn₂Au, we demonstrate that slower thermomagnetoelastic effects predominantly govern switching over a wide parameter range. In the regime of short current pulses in the nanosecond range, however, we observe fully Néel spin-orbit torque driven switching. We show that this ultrafast mechanism enables the complete directional alignment of the Néel vector by current pulses in device structures.

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