Skip to main content

Controlling spin current polarization through non-collinear antiferromagnetism

Cornell Affiliated Author(s)

Author

T. Nan
C. Quintela
J. Irwin
G. Gurung
D. Shao
J. Gibbons
N. Campbell
K. Song
S. Choi
L. Guo
R. Johnson
P. Manuel
R. Chopdekar
I. Hallsteinsen
T. Tybell
P. Ryan
J. Kim
Y. Choi
P. Radaelli
D. Ralph
E . Y. Tsymbal
M. Rzchowski
C. Eom

Abstract

The interconversion of charge and spin currents via spin-Hall effect is essential for spintronics. Energy-efficient and deterministic switching of magnetization can be achieved when spin polarizations of these spin currents are collinear with the magnetization. However, symmetry conditions generally restrict spin polarizations to be orthogonal to both the charge and spin flows. Spin polarizations can deviate from such direction in nonmagnetic materials only when the crystalline symmetry is reduced. Here, we show control of the spin polarization direction by using a non-collinear antiferromagnet Mn3GaN, in which the triangular spin structure creates a low magnetic symmetry while maintaining a high crystalline symmetry. We demonstrate that epitaxial Mn3GaN/permalloy heterostructures can generate unconventional spin-orbit torques at room temperature corresponding to out-of-plane and Dresselhaus-like spin polarizations which are forbidden in any sample with two-fold rotational symmetry. Our results demonstrate an approach based on spin-structure design for controlling spin-orbit torque, enabling high-efficient antiferromagnetic spintronics. © 2020, The Author(s).

Date Published

Journal

Springer Science and Business Media LLC

Volume

11

Issue

1

URL

https://www.scopus.com/inward/record.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85091037165&doi=10.1038%2fs41467-020-17999-4&partnerID=40&md5=2502bd1573886b3f807fa41a33871290

DOI

10.1038/s41467-020-17999-4

Funding Source

DMR-1719875
DE-FG02-06ER46327
DMR-1720415
1542081
1708499
1719875
DMR-1629270
FA9550-15-1-0334
W911NF-17-1-0462

Download citation