R&D: Antiferromagnetic Half-Skyrmions Electrically Generated and Controlled at Room Temperature

Nature Nanotechnology has published an article written by O. J. Amin, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK, S. F. Poole, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK, S. Reimers, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK, Diamond Light Source, Chilton, UK, and Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz, Mainz, Germany, L. X. Barton, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK, A. Dal Din, School of Physics and Astronomy,, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK , F. Maccherozzi, Diamond Light Source, Chilton, UK, S. S. Dhesi, Diamond Light Source, Chilton, UK, V. Novák, F. Krizek, Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic , J. S. Chauhan, R. P. Campion, A. W. Rushforth, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK , T. Jungwirth, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK, and Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences, Prague, Czech Republic, O. A. Tretiakov, School of Physics, The University of New South Wales, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia, K. W. Edmonds, and P. Wadley, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.

Abstract: “Topologically protected magnetic textures are promising candidates for information carriers in future memory devices, as they can be efficiently propelled at very high velocities using current-induced spin torques. These textures – nanoscale whirls in the magnetic order – include skyrmions, half-skyrmions (merons) and their antiparticles. Antiferromagnets have been shown to host versions of these textures that have high potential for terahertz dynamics, deflection-free motion and improved size scaling due to the absence of stray field. Here we show that topological spin textures, merons and antimerons, can be generated at room temperature and reversibly moved using electrical pulses in thin-film CuMnAs, a semimetallic antiferromagnet that is a testbed system for spintronic applications. The merons and antimerons are localized on 180° domain walls, and move in the direction of the current pulses. The electrical generation and manipulation of antiferromagnetic merons is a crucial step towards realizing the full potential of antiferromagnetic thin films as active components in high-density, high-speed magnetic memory devices.“