Identification of Néel vector orientation in antiferromagnetic domains switched by currents in NiO/Pt thin films

Abstract

Understanding the electrical manipulation of antiferromagnetic order is a crucial aspect to enable the design of antiferromagnetic devices working at THz frequency. Focusing on collinear insulating antiferromagnetic NiO/Pt thin films as a materials platform, we identify the crystallographic orientation of the domains that can be switched by currents and quantify the Néel vector direction changes. We demonstrate electrical switching between different T-domains by current pulses, finding that the Néel vector orientation in these domains is along $[\pm 5\pm 519]$, different compared to the bulk $<11\bar{2}>$ directions. The final state of the Néel vector $\text{n}$ switching after current pulses $\text{j}$ along the $[1\pm 10]$ directions is $\text{n}\parallel \text{j}$. By comparing the observed Néel vector orientation and the strain in the thin films, assuming that this variation arises solely from magnetoelastic effects, we quantify the order of magnitude of the magnetoelastic coupling coefficient as $b_0+2b_1=3\ast 10^{7}J{m}^{-3}$ . This information is key for the understanding of current-induced switching in antiferromagnets and for the design and use of such devices as active elements in spintronic devices.

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Cited by in corpus (9)

• Antiferromagnetic insulatronics: spintronics in insulating 3d metal oxides with antiferromagnetic coupling
• Quantifying Spin-Orbit Torques in Antiferromagnet/Heavy Metal Heterostructures
• Strain-induced Shape Anisotropy in Antiferromagnetic Structures
• Laser-induced Creation of antiferromagnetic 180-degree domains in NiO/Pt bilayers
• Spin-Transfer-Torque Induced Spatially Nonuniform Switching in Ferrimagnets
• Magnetic sensitivity distribution of Hall devices in antiferromagnetic switching experiments
• Identifiying the domain wall spin structure in current-induced switching of antiferromagnetic NiO/Pt
• Interaction and collision of skyrmions in chiral antiferromagnets
• Orthogonal Spin-Orbit Torque-Induced Deterministic Switching in NiO