Relativistic Néel-Order Fields Induced by Electrical Current in Antiferromagnets

J. Železný, H. Gao, K. Výborný, J. Zemen, J. Mašek, Aurelien Manchon, J. Wunderlich, Jairo Sinova, T. Jungwirth

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

395 Scopus citations

Abstract

We predict that a lateral electrical current in antiferromagnets can induce nonequilibrium Néel-order fields, i.e., fields whose sign alternates between the spin sublattices, which can trigger ultrafast spin-axis reorientation. Based on microscopic transport theory calculations we identify staggered current-induced fields analogous to the intraband and to the intrinsic interband spin-orbit fields previously reported in ferromagnets with a broken inversion-symmetry crystal. To illustrate their rich physics and utility, we consider bulk Mn2Au with the two spin sublattices forming inversion partners, and a 2D square-lattice antiferromagnet with broken structural inversion symmetry modeled by a Rashba spin-orbit coupling. We propose an antiferromagnetic memory device with electrical writing and reading.
Original languageEnglish (US)
JournalPhysical Review Letters
Volume113
Issue number15
DOIs
StatePublished - Oct 6 2014

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KAUST Repository Item: Exported on 2020-10-01

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