Ultrafast antiferromagnetic switching in NiO induced by spin transfer torques

Théophile Chirac, Jean-Yves Chauleau, Pascal Thibaudeau, Olena Gomonay, and Michel Viret
Phys. Rev. B 102, 134415 – Published 12 October 2020

Abstract

NiO is a prototypical antiferromagnet with a characteristic resonance frequency in the THz range. From atomistic spin dynamics simulations that take into account the crystallographic structure of NiO, and in particular a magnetic anisotropy respecting its symmetry, we describe antiferromagnetic switching at THz frequency by a spin transfer torque mechanism. Subpicosecond S-state switching between the six allowed stable spin directions is found for reasonably achievable spin currents, like those generated by laser induced ultrafast demagnetization. A simple procedure for picosecond writing of a six-state memory is described, thus opening the possibility to speed up current logic of electronic devices by several orders of magnitude.

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  • Received 22 April 2020
  • Revised 14 September 2020
  • Accepted 21 September 2020

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.102.134415

©2020 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied PhysicsAtomic, Molecular & Optical

Authors & Affiliations

Théophile Chirac1,*, Jean-Yves Chauleau1,†, Pascal Thibaudeau2,‡, Olena Gomonay3,§, and Michel Viret1,∥

  • 1CEA Saclay, DRF/IRAMIS/SPEC, UMR 3680 CEA-CNRS, F-91191 Gif-sur-Yvette, France
  • 2CEA–DAM, Le Ripault, BP 16, F-37260, Monts, France
  • 3Institut für Physik, Johannes Gutenberg Universität Mainz, D-55099 Mainz, Germany

  • *theophile.chirac@umontpellier.fr; Now at Laboratoire Charles Coulomb, UMR 5221 CNRS-Université de Montpellier, F-34095 Montpellier, France.
  • jean-yves.chauleau@cea.fr
  • pascal.thibaudeau@cea.fr
  • §ogomonay@uni-mainz.de
  • michel.viret@cea.fr

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Issue

Vol. 102, Iss. 13 — 1 October 2020

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