Optically Triggered Néel Vector Manipulation of a Metallic Antiferromagnet Mn2Au under Strain

• The absence of stray fields, their insensitivity to external magnetic fields, and ultrafast dynamics make antiferromagnets promising candidates for active elements in spintronic devices. Here, we demonstrate manipulation of the Néel vector in the metallic collinear antiferromagnet Mn2Au by combining strain and femtosecond laser excitation. Applying tensile strain along either of the two in-plane easy axes and locally exciting the sample by a train of femtosecond pulses, we align the Néel vector along the direction controlled by the applied strain. The dependence on the laser fluence and strain suggests the alignment is a result of optically triggered depinning of 90° domain walls and their motion in the direction of the free energy gradient, governed by the magneto-elastic coupling. The resulting, switchable state is stable at room temperature and insensitive to magnetic fields. Such an approach may provide ways to realize robust high-density memory device with switching time scales in the picosecond range. 

Ämnesord

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Kemi (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Chemical Sciences (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Nanoteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Nano-technology (hsv//eng)

TEKNIK OCH TEKNOLOGIER  -- Materialteknik (hsv//swe)

ENGINEERING AND TECHNOLOGY  -- Materials Engineering (hsv//eng)

NATURVETENSKAP  -- Fysik -- Den kondenserade materiens fysik (hsv//swe)

NATURAL SCIENCES  -- Physical Sciences -- Condensed Matter Physics (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

antiferromagnetic spintronics

optical manipulation of staggered magnetization

domain wall dynamics

deptuilillg transition

strain

metallic antiferromagnets

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