Magnetization switching in polycrystalline Mn3Sn thin film induced by self-generated spin-polarized current

Hang Xie, Xin Chen, Qi Zhang, Zhiqiang Mu, Xinhai Zhang, Binghai Yan () and Yihong Wu ()
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Hang Xie: National University of Singapore
Xin Chen: National University of Singapore
Qi Zhang: National University of Singapore
Zhiqiang Mu: Chinese Academy of Sciences
Xinhai Zhang: Southern University of Science and Technology, Xueyuan Rd. 1088
Binghai Yan: Weizmann Institute of Science
Yihong Wu: National University of Singapore

Nature Communications, 2022, vol. 13, issue 1, 1-10

Abstract: Abstract Electrical manipulation of spins is essential to design state-of-the-art spintronic devices and commonly relies on the spin current injected from a second heavy-metal material. The fact that chiral antiferromagnets produce spin current inspires us to explore the magnetization switching of chiral spins using self-generated spin torque. Here, we demonstrate the electric switching of noncollinear antiferromagnetic state in Mn3Sn by observing a crossover from conventional spin-orbit torque to the self-generated spin torque when increasing the MgO thickness in Ta/MgO/Mn3Sn polycrystalline films. The spin current injection from the Ta layer can be controlled and even blocked by varying the MgO thickness, but the switching sustains even at a large MgO thickness. Furthermore, the switching polarity reverses when the MgO thickness exceeds around 3 nm, which cannot be explained by the spin-orbit torque scenario due to spin current injection from the Ta layer. Evident current-induced switching is also observed in MgO/Mn3Sn and Ti/Mn3Sn bilayers, where external injection of spin Hall current to Mn3Sn is negligible. The inter-grain spin-transfer torque induced by spin-polarized current explains the experimental observations. Our findings provide an alternative pathway for electrical manipulation of non-collinear antiferromagnetic state without resorting to the conventional bilayer structure.

Date: 2022
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-33345-2

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