Nanoscale quantum imaging of field-free deterministic switching of a chiral antiferromagnet

ORAL

Abstract

Unconventional spin–orbit torques (SOTs) driven by tunable spin generation provide a promising platform for efficient magnetization control, which enables cutting-edge spintronic technologies. Development of field-free deterministic magnetization switching offers a pathway to low energy consumption in magnetic memory and storage applications. This concept has been investigated in conventional ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic systems. Here, we realize this strategy in the chiral antiferromagnet Mn3Sn using spin currents with out-of-plane canted polarization generated by the low-symmetry van der Waals material WTe2. Macrospin simulation shows that damping-like SOTs from spins injected perpendicular to the kagome plane drive the rotation of the chiral magnetic order, while field-like SOTs from in-plane polarized spins lead to deterministic switching in the absence of an external magnetic field. Using nanoscale scanning quantum microscopy, we directly visualize magnetic domains evolution of Mn3Sn during field-free switching substantiating a switching ratio of up to 90%. Our results establish hybrid SOT heterostructures combining noncollinear antiferromagnets and low-symmetry vdW spin source materials as a novel platform for scalable, resilient and next-generation spintronic devices.

*The transport measurements and device fabrications were supported by U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) under award No. DMR-2342569 and award No. ECCS-2445826. The NV measurements were supported by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences (BES), under award No. DE-SC0024870. H. W. acknowledges the support from the U.S. National Science Foundation under award No. ECCS-2525800. L.Z. acknowledges the support from the DOE, Office of Science, BES, under award No. DE-SC0024145. The synthesis of WTe2 crystals was supported by the Cahill Research Fund. H.C. acknowledges support from NSF Grant No. DMR-1945023 and DMR-2414749. K.W. and T.T. acknowledge support from the JSPS KAKENHI (Grant No. 21H05233 and 23H02052), the CREST (JPMJCR24A5), JST and WPI, MEXT, Japan.

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Presenters

  • Jingcheng Zhou

    • Georgia Institute of Technology

Authors

  • Jingcheng Zhou

    • Georgia Institute of Technology

  • Senlei Li

    • Georgia Institute of Technology

  • Chuangtang Wang

    • University of Michigan

  • Hanshang Jin

    • University of California, Davis

  • Yiqi Xu

    • University of California, Davis

  • Zelong Xiong

    • Georgia Institute of Technology

  • Carson Jacobsen

    • Georgia Institute of Technology

  • Kenji Watanabe

    • National Institute for Materials Science
    • Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute of Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan

  • Takashi Taniguchi

    • National Institute for Materials Science
    • Research Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute for Materials Science
    • International Center for Materials Nanoarchitectonics, National Institute of Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan
    • Research Center for Functional Materials, National Institute of Materials Science, 1-1 Namiki Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0044, Japan

  • Valentin Taufour

    • UC Davis
    • University of California Davis
    • University of California, Davis

  • Liuyan Zhao

    • University of Michigan

  • Hua Chen

    • Colorado State University

  • Chunhui R Du

    • Georgia Institute of Technology

  • Hailong Wang

    • Georgia Institute of Technology