Spin- polarized currents in non-collinear antiferromagnets

Abstract

Antiferromagnets have recently attracted considerable attention in the spintronics community because they have some unique advantages over ferromagnetic materials and spintronics provides means of accessing and utilizing the antiferromagnetic order. Compared to ferromagnetic materials, however, the range of spintronic functionalities available in the most studied simple collinear antiferromagnets, is limited. In contrast, in non-collinear antiferromagnets, symmetry is lower and more spintronics effects can be present. The noncollinear antiferromagnets could thus combine the advantages of collinear antiferromagnets such as fast magnetic dynamics with the useful functionalities of ferromagnets. Here, we discuss spin currents in non-collinear antiferromagnets of the Mn3X type. Our work shows that a spin current flowing in the same direction as the charge current occurs in these antiferromagnets. In other words, this means that, like in ferromagnets, the charge current in the Mn3X is spin-polarized. In addition, we also show that a transverse spin currents occur in these antiferromagnets. This includes the conventional spin Hall effect, but also a new type of spin Hall effect, originating from the magnetic structure. These spin currents could be utilized in a variety of devices. For example, the spin-polarized current will result in a spin-transfer torque in an antiferromagnetic junction, whereas the transverse spin current will result in a spin-orbit torque in an antiferromagnet/ferromagnet bilayer system. We present microscopic calculations of such torques in nanoscopic devices.

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Santa Cruz, USA
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