Intrinsic staggered spin-orbit torque for the electrical control of antiferromagnets -- application to CrI${}_3$

Abstract

Spin-orbit torque enables the electrical control of the orientation of ferromagnets' or antiferromagnets' order parameter. In this work we consider antiferromagnets in which the magnetic sublattices are connected by inversion+time reversal symmetry, and in which the exchange and anisotropy energies are similar in magnitude. We identify the staggered dampinglike spin-orbit torque as the key mechanism for electrical excitation of the Néel vector for this case. To illustrate this scenario, we examine the 2-d Van der Waals antiferromagnetic bilayer \ch{CrI3}, in the $n$-doped regime. Using a combination of first-principles calculations of the spin-orbit torque and an analysis of the ensuing spin dynamics, we show that the deterministic electrical switching of the Néel vector is the result of dampinglike spin-orbit torque which is staggered on the magnetic sublattices.

Cited by in corpus (2)

• Spin-orbit torque switching of Néel order in band-inverted antiferromagnetic bilayer MnBi${}_2$Te${}_4$
• Deterministic Switching of Perpendicular Ferromagnets by Higher harmonics of Spin-orbit Torque in Noncentrosymmetric Weyl Semimetals