Identifying switching of antiferromagnets by spin-orbit torques
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.
Authors
- Armin Kleibert (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3630-9360)
- Sonka Reimers (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6934-4472)
- Evangelos Golias (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1483-1959)
- Mathias Kläui (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4848-2569)
- Guzmán Orero Gámez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-1598-7716)
- Jonathan Bläßer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-9538-7219)
- Francesco Maccherozzi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4074-2319)
- Lukas Odenbreit
- Miriam G. Fischer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5486-381X)
- Yuran Niu
- Hermann Stoll (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0007-5907-9074)
- Karl J. Friston
Institutions
- Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (DE)
- Paul Scherrer Institute (CH)
- Diamond Light Source (GB)
- Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems (DE)
- MAX IV Laboratory (SE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Physical review. B./Physical review. B
- Published
- 2025-07-14
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1103/tjhp-rzcb
- Citations
- 2
- Primary Topic
- Magnetic properties of thin films
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 2.49