Relativistic Néel-order fields induced by electrical current in antiferromagnets.
We predict that a lateral electrical current in antiferromagnets can induce nonequilibrium Néel-order fields, i.e., fields whose sign alternates between the spin sublattices, which can trigger ultrafast spin-axis reorientation. Based on microscopic transport theory calculations we identify staggered current-induced fields analogous to the intraband and to the intrinsic interband spin-orbit fields previously reported in ferromagnets with a broken inversion-symmetry crystal. To illustrate their rich physics and utility, we consider bulk Mn(2)Au with the two spin sublattices forming inversion partners, and a 2D square-lattice antiferromagnet with broken structural inversion symmetry modeled by a Rashba spin-orbit coupling. We propose an antiferromagnetic memory device with electrical writing and reading.
Institute of Physics ASCR, Cukrovarnická 10, 162 53 Praha 6, Czech Republic and Faculty of Mathematics and Physics, Charles University in Prague, Ke Karlovu 3, 121 16 Prague 2, Czech Republic.
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Železný
Department of Physics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-4242, USA.
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H
Gao
Institute of Physics ASCR, Cukrovarnická 10, 162 53 Praha 6, Czech Republic.
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Výborný
Department of Physics, Blackett Laboratory, Imperial College London, London SW7 2AZ, United Kingdom.
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Zemen
Institute of Physics ASCR, Na Slovance 2, 182 21 Praha 8, Czech Republic.
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J
Mašek
Physical Science and Engineering Division, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST), Thuwal 23955-6900, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
Aurélien
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Manchon
Institute of Physics ASCR, Cukrovarnická 10, 162 53 Praha 6, Czech Republic and Hitachi Cambridge Laboratory, Cambridge CB3 0HE, United Kingdom.
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Wunderlich
Institute of Physics ASCR, Cukrovarnická 10, 162 53 Praha 6, Czech Republic and Department of Physics, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas 77843-4242, USA and Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz, 55128 Mainz, Germany.
Jairo
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Sinova
Institute of Physics ASCR, Cukrovarnická 10, 162 53 Praha 6, Czech Republic and School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom.
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Jungwirth