Anisotropy in Antiferromagnets

Abstract

Due to the advent of antiferromagnetic (AF) spintronics there is a burgeoning interest in AF materials for a wide range of potential and actual applications. Generally, AFs are characterized via the ordering at the Neel temperature (TN) but, to have a stable AF configuration, it is necessary that the material have a sufficient level of anisotropy so as to maintain the orientation of the given magnetic state fixed in one direction. Unlike the case for ferromagnets there is little established data on the anisotropy of AFs and in particular its origins and those factors which control it. In this paper these factors are reviewed in the light of recent and established experimental data. Additionally, there is no recognized technique for the first principle determination of the anisotropy of an AF which can only be found indirectly via the exchange bias phenomenon. This technique is reviewed and in particular the implications for the nature of the anisotropy that is measured and its distribution. Finally, a strategy is proposed that would allow for the development of AF materials with controlled anisotropy for future applications.

arXiv comment20 pages, 11 figures, invited paper

References in corpus (5)

• Antiferromagnetic spintronics
• Full angular dependence of the spin Hall and ordinary magnetoresistance in epitaxial antiferromagnetic NiO(001)/Pt thin films
• Large exchange bias in polycrystalline MnN/CoFe bilayers at room temperature
• Giant perpendicular exchange bias with antiferromagnetic MnN
• Tunneling magnetoresistance of perpendicular CoFeB-based junctions with exchange bias

Cited by in corpus (4)

• Curvature-driven homogeneous Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction and emergent weak ferromagnetism in anisotropic antiferromagnetic spin chains
• Hole doping in compositionally complex correlated oxide enables tunable exchange biasing
• Antiferromagnetic resonance in $\alpha$-MnTe
• Magnetically switchable spin wave retarder with $90^{\circ }$ antiferromagnetic domain wall