Atomically sharp domain walls in an antiferromagnet.

Area of Science:

• Condensed Matter Physics
• Materials Science
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Understanding magnetic textures like domain walls is vital for magnetism research and information technologies.
• Antiferromagnetic materials offer potential for advanced electronic devices due to their unique properties.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the scaling limits of magnetic textures in antiferromagnetic materials at the nanoscale.
• To identify and characterize domain walls in antiferromagnetic copper manganese arsenide (CuMnAs) down to the atomic level.

Main Methods:

• Utilized X-ray photoemission electron microscopy (XPEEM) to image magnetic textures.
• Employed aberration-corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) with differential phase-contrast (DPC) imaging for atomic resolution.

Main Results:

• Successfully imaged magnetic textures in CuMnAs down to the nanoscale, reaching the detection limits of XPEEM.
• Achieved atomic resolution, identifying abrupt domain walls corresponding to Néel order reversal between atomic planes.

Conclusions:

• Demonstrated the capability to study magnetic textures at the ultimate atomic scale in antiferromagnets.
• Findings provide insights for developing novel antiferromagnetic devices with magnetic field-insensitive neuromorphic functionalities.