2016/06/30 by Ran Cheng, Satoshi Okamoto, Di Xiao · 7 citations
Physics and Astronomy · #Advanced Condensed Matter Physics #Anisotropy #Antiferromagnetism #Condensed matter physics #Degenerate energy levels #Ferromagnetism #Magnetic properties of thin films #Magnon #Nernst effect #Nernst equation #Physics #Physics of Superconductivity and Magnetism #Quantum mechanics #Spin (aerodynamics) #Spin wave #Transverse plane #cond-mat.mes-hall #cond-mat.mtrl-sci #quant-ph
paper · pdf · doi:10.1103/physrevlett.117.217202
published as Phys. Rev. Lett. 117, 217202 (2016)
openalex created_date 2016/06/24 · arxiv created 2016/11/15 · openalex publication_date 2016/11/15 · arxiv updated 2016/11/17 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/05
In a collinear antiferromagnet with easy-axis anisotropy, symmetry guarantees that the spin wave modes are doubly degenerate. The two modes carry opposite spin angular momentum and exhibit opposite chirality. Using a honeycomb antiferromagnet in the presence of the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, we show that a longitudinal temperature gradient can drive the two modes to opposite transverse directions, realizing a spin Nernst effect of magnons with vanishing thermal Hall current. We find that magnons around the Γ point and the K point contribute oppositely to the transverse spin transport, and their competition leads to a sign change of the spin Nernst coefficient at finite temperature. Possible material candidates are discussed.