Spin flop and crystalline anisotropic magnetoresistance in CuMnAs

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.101.094429

Authors: M. Wang (University of Nottingham) , C. Andrews (University of Nottingham) , S. Reimers (University of Nottingham; Diamond Light Source) , O. J. Amin (University of Nottingham) , P. Wadley (University of Nottingham) , R. P. Campion (University of Nottingham) , S. F. Poole (University of Nottingham) , J. Felton (University of Nottingham) , K. W. Edmonds (University of Nottingham) , B. L. Gallagher (University of Nottingham) , A. W. Rushforth (University of Nottingham) , O. Makarovsky (University of Nottingham) , K. Gas (Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences) , M. Sawicki (Institute of Physics, Polish Academy of Sciences) , D. Kriegner (Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences) , J. Zubáč (Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences; Charles University) , K. Olejník (Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences) , V. Novák (Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences) , T. Jungwirth (Institute of Physics, Czech Academy of Sciences; University of Nottingham) , M. Shahrokhvand (Radboud University) , U. Zeitler (Radboud University) , S. S. Dhesi (Diamond Light Source) , F. Maccherozzi (Diamond Light Source)
Co-authored by industrial partner: No

Type: Journal Paper
Journal: Physical Review B , VOL 101

State: Published (Approved)
Published: March 2020
Diamond Proposal Number(s): 11846 , 20793

Abstract: We report magnetic-field-induced rotation of the antiferromagnetic Néel vector in epitaxial CuMnAs thin films. First, using soft x-ray magnetic linear dichroism spectroscopy as well as magnetometry, we demonstrate spin-flop switching and continuous spin reorientation in films with uniaxial and biaxial magnetic anisotropies, respectively, for applied magnetic fields of the order of 2 T. The remnant antiferromagnetic domain configurations are determined using x-ray photoemission electron microscopy. Next, we show that the Néel vector reorientations are manifested in the longitudinal and transverse anisotropic magnetoresistance. Dependencies of the electrical resistance on the orientation of the Néel vector with respect to both the electrical current direction and the crystal symmetry are identified, including a weak fourth-order term evident at high magnetic fields. The results provide characterization of key parameters including the anisotropic magnetoresistance coefficients, magnetocrystalline anisotropy, and spin-flop field in epitaxial films of tetragonal CuMnAs, a candidate material for antiferromagnetic spintronics.

Journal Keywords: Anisotropic magnetoresistance; Antiferromagnetism; Magnetic anisotropy; Magnetoresistance Physical Systems; Antiferromagnets; Thin films; Magnetization measurements; X-ray magnetic linear dichroism

Diamond Keywords: Spintronics; Antiferromagnetism

Subject Areas: Materials, Physics


Instruments: I06-Nanoscience

Added On: 02/04/2020 15:54

Discipline Tags:

Surfaces Quantum Materials Hard condensed matter - electronic properties Physics Magnetism Materials Science interfaces and thin films

Technical Tags:

Spectroscopy X-ray Absorption Spectroscopy (XAS)