Current-induced Néel order switching facilitated by magnetic phase transition

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science
• Spintronics

Background:

• Antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials offer high storage density and speed for next-gen magnetic memory.
• Energy-efficient manipulation of AFM orders is challenging due to large exchange energy barriers.

Purpose of the Study:

• To demonstrate energy-efficient electrical writing of antiferromagnetic orders.
• To explore AFM-FM phase transitions for manipulating AFM states.

Main Methods:

• Utilized current-induced Joule heating to induce a transient ferromagnetic (FM) state in FeRh.
• Employed spin-orbit torque to switch the AFM order parameter by 90°.
• Verified switching using X-ray magnetic linear dichroism (XMLD) and electrical transport measurements.

Main Results:

• Achieved electrical writing of AFM orders at a record-low current density of ~10^6 A cm^-2.
• Demonstrated switching of AFM order parameter by 90° via transient FM state.
• Confirmed AFM switching mechanism through temperature and magnetic bias field dependent measurements.

Conclusions:

• Developed a novel method for low-current density writing in AFM systems.
• The AFM-FM phase transition in FeRh facilitates efficient manipulation of AFM orders.
• Opens new pathways for practical applications in pure antiferromagnetic memory devices.