Multiple-stable anisotropic magnetoresistance memory in antiferromagnetic MnTe

Commercial magnetic memories rely on the bistability of ordered spins in ferromagnetic materials. Recently, experimental bistable memories have been realized using fully compensated antiferromagnetic metals. Here we demonstrate a multiple-stable memory device in epitaxial MnTe, an antiferromagnetic...

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Main Authors: Kriegner, D., Výborný, K., Olejnik, K., Reichlová, H., Novák, V., Marti, X., Gazquez, J., Saidl, V., Němec, P., Volobuev, V.V., Springholz, G., Holy, Vaclav, Jungwirth, T.
Format: Article
Published: Nature Publishing Group 2016
Online Access:https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/40283/
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author Kriegner, D.
Výborný, K.
Olejnik, K.
Reichlová, H.
Novák, V.
Marti, X.
Gazquez, J.
Saidl, V.
Němec, P.
Volobuev, V.V.
Springholz, G.
Holy, Vaclav
Jungwirth, T.
author_facet Kriegner, D.
Výborný, K.
Olejnik, K.
Reichlová, H.
Novák, V.
Marti, X.
Gazquez, J.
Saidl, V.
Němec, P.
Volobuev, V.V.
Springholz, G.
Holy, Vaclav
Jungwirth, T.
author_sort Kriegner, D.
building Nottingham Research Data Repository
collection Online Access
description Commercial magnetic memories rely on the bistability of ordered spins in ferromagnetic materials. Recently, experimental bistable memories have been realized using fully compensated antiferromagnetic metals. Here we demonstrate a multiple-stable memory device in epitaxial MnTe, an antiferromagnetic counterpart of common II–VI semiconductors. Favourable micromagnetic characteristics of MnTe allow us to demonstrate a smoothly varying zero-field antiferromagnetic anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) with a harmonic angular dependence on the writing magnetic field angle, analogous to ferromagnets. The continuously varying AMR provides means for the electrical read-out of multiple-stable antiferromagnetic memory states, which we set by heat-assisted magneto recording and by changing the writing field direction. The multiple stability in our memory is ascribed to different distributions of domains with the Neel vector aligned along one of the three magnetic easy axes. The robustness against strong magnetic field perturbations combined with the multiple stability of the magnetic memory states are unique properties of antiferromagnets.
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spelling nottingham-402832020-05-04T17:57:13Z https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/40283/ Multiple-stable anisotropic magnetoresistance memory in antiferromagnetic MnTe Kriegner, D. Výborný, K. Olejnik, K. Reichlová, H. Novák, V. Marti, X. Gazquez, J. Saidl, V. Němec, P. Volobuev, V.V. Springholz, G. Holy, Vaclav Jungwirth, T. Commercial magnetic memories rely on the bistability of ordered spins in ferromagnetic materials. Recently, experimental bistable memories have been realized using fully compensated antiferromagnetic metals. Here we demonstrate a multiple-stable memory device in epitaxial MnTe, an antiferromagnetic counterpart of common II–VI semiconductors. Favourable micromagnetic characteristics of MnTe allow us to demonstrate a smoothly varying zero-field antiferromagnetic anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) with a harmonic angular dependence on the writing magnetic field angle, analogous to ferromagnets. The continuously varying AMR provides means for the electrical read-out of multiple-stable antiferromagnetic memory states, which we set by heat-assisted magneto recording and by changing the writing field direction. The multiple stability in our memory is ascribed to different distributions of domains with the Neel vector aligned along one of the three magnetic easy axes. The robustness against strong magnetic field perturbations combined with the multiple stability of the magnetic memory states are unique properties of antiferromagnets. Nature Publishing Group 2016-06-09 Article PeerReviewed Kriegner, D., Výborný, K., Olejnik, K., Reichlová, H., Novák, V., Marti, X., Gazquez, J., Saidl, V., Němec, P., Volobuev, V.V., Springholz, G., Holy, Vaclav and Jungwirth, T. (2016) Multiple-stable anisotropic magnetoresistance memory in antiferromagnetic MnTe. Nature Communications, 7 (11623). pp. 1-7. ISSN 2041-1723 http://www.nature.com/articles/ncomms11623 doi:10.1038/ncomms11623 doi:10.1038/ncomms11623
spellingShingle Kriegner, D.
Výborný, K.
Olejnik, K.
Reichlová, H.
Novák, V.
Marti, X.
Gazquez, J.
Saidl, V.
Němec, P.
Volobuev, V.V.
Springholz, G.
Holy, Vaclav
Jungwirth, T.
Multiple-stable anisotropic magnetoresistance memory in antiferromagnetic MnTe
title Multiple-stable anisotropic magnetoresistance memory in antiferromagnetic MnTe
title_full Multiple-stable anisotropic magnetoresistance memory in antiferromagnetic MnTe
title_fullStr Multiple-stable anisotropic magnetoresistance memory in antiferromagnetic MnTe
title_full_unstemmed Multiple-stable anisotropic magnetoresistance memory in antiferromagnetic MnTe
title_short Multiple-stable anisotropic magnetoresistance memory in antiferromagnetic MnTe
title_sort multiple-stable anisotropic magnetoresistance memory in antiferromagnetic mnte
url https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/40283/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/40283/
https://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/40283/