Year: 2025
Type: article
Abstract: Antiferromagnets have garnered significant attention due to their negligible stray field and ultrafast magnetic dynamics, which are promising for high-density and ultrafast spintronic applications. Their dual functionality as both spin sources and information carriers could enable all-electrical self-induced switching of antiferromagnetic order, offering great potential for ultracompact spintronic devices. However, related progress is still elusive. Here, we report the deterministic switching of chiral antiferromagnetic orders induced by charge current at zero external magnetic field in the van der Waals magnetically intercalated transition metal dichalcogenide CoTa_{3}S_{6}. This system exhibits strong interactions between cobalt atom magnetic moment lattice and itinerant electrons within the metallic layers, as demonstrated by temperature-dependent angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy, scanning tunneling spectroscopy, and topological Nernst effect measurements. Notably, the itinerant-localization interactions lead to current-induced chiral spin-orbit torques as well as Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida exchange torques that interact with the localized magnetic moments, facilitating all-electrical switching of the chiral magnetic order in the CoTa_{3}S_{6} flake. Our Letter opens a promising avenue for manipulating antiferromagnetic orders by delicately engineering the synergistic interactions between magnetic moments and itinerant electrons.
Source: Physical Review Letters
DOI: 10.1103/2vc9-t8qt
Authors: Junlin Xiong, Jiawei Jiang, Yanwei Cui, Han Gao, Ji Zhou, Zijia Liu, KuiKui Zhang, Shaobo Cheng, Kehui Wu, Sang-Wook Cheong, Kai Chang, Zhongkai Liu, Hongxin Yang, Shi-Jun Liang, Bin Cheng, Feng Miao
Institutions: Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Nanjing University, Zhejiang University, ShanghaiTech University, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Institute of Physics, Zhengzhou University, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, Nanjing University of Science and Technology
Language: English
Subfield: Atomic and Molecular Physics, and Optics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: green
Funders: Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, National Natural Science Foundation of China, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Natural Science Foundation of Jiangsu Province, National Laboratory of Solid State Microstructures, Nanjing University, Chinese Academy of Inspection and Quarantine, National Key Research and Development Program of China
OpenAlex ID: W4416204746