Current-induced Néel order switching facilitated by magnetic phase transition

Hao Wu (), Hantao Zhang, Baomin Wang (), Felix Groß, Chao-Yao Yang, Gengfei Li, Chenyang Guo, Haoran He, Kin Wong, Di Wu, Xiufeng Han, Chih-Huang Lai, Joachim Gräfe, Ran Cheng () and Kang L. Wang ()
Additional contact information
Hao Wu: University of California
Hantao Zhang: University of California
Baomin Wang: Ningbo University
Felix Groß: Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems
Chao-Yao Yang: National Tsing Hua University
Gengfei Li: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Chenyang Guo: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Haoran He: University of California
Kin Wong: University of California
Di Wu: University of California
Xiufeng Han: Songshan Lake Materials Laboratory
Chih-Huang Lai: National Tsing Hua University
Joachim Gräfe: Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems
Ran Cheng: University of California
Kang L. Wang: University of California

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract Terahertz (THz) spin dynamics and vanishing stray field make antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials the most promising candidate for the next-generation magnetic memory technology with revolutionary storage density and writing speed. However, owing to the extremely large exchange energy barriers, energy-efficient manipulation has been a fundamental challenge in AFM systems. Here, we report an electrical writing of antiferromagnetic orders through a record-low current density on the order of 106 A cm−2 facilitated by the unique AFM-ferromagnetic (FM) phase transition in FeRh. By introducing a transient FM state via current-induced Joule heating, the spin-orbit torque can switch the AFM order parameter by 90° with a reduced writing current density similar to ordinary FM materials. This mechanism is further verified by measuring the temperature and magnetic bias field dependences, where the X-ray magnetic linear dichroism (XMLD) results confirm the AFM switching besides the electrical transport measurement. Our findings demonstrate the exciting possibility of writing operations in AFM-based devices with a lower current density, opening a new pathway towards pure AFM memory applications.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-29170-2

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