Electric control of Dirac quasiparticles by spin-orbit torque in an antiferromagnet

Abstract

Spin-orbitronics and Dirac quasiparticles are two fields of condensed matter physics initiated independently about a decade ago. Here we predict that Dirac quasiparticles can be controlled by the spin-orbit torque reorientation of the Néel vector in an antiferromagnet. Using CuMnAs as an example, we formulate symmetry criteria allowing for the co-existence of Dirac quasiparticles and Néel spin-orbit torques. We identify the non-symmorphic crystal symmetry protection of Dirac band crossings whose on and off switching is mediated by the Néel vector reorientation. We predict that this concept, verified by minimal model and density functional calculations in the CuMnAs semimetal antiferromagnet, can lead to a topological metal-insulator transition driven by the Néel vector and to the corresponding topological anisotropic magnetoresistance.

5 pages, 4 figures

References in corpus (4)

• The electronic properties of graphene
• High-precision realization of robust quantum anomalous Hall state in a hard ferromagnetic topological insulator
• Nonlocal edge state transport in the quantum spin Hall state
• Precise quantization of anomalous Hall effect near zero magnetic field

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• Linear Response in Topological Materials
• High quality epitaxial thin films and exchange bias of antiferromagnetic Dirac semimetal FeSn
• Topological antiferromagnetic spintronics: Part of a collection of reviews on antiferromagnetic spintronics
• Symmetry Enforced Dirac Points in Antiferromagnetic Semiconductors