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Group Seminar 2022/23

Category
Group Seminar
Date
Date
Wednesday 23 November 2022, 14:00-15:00
Location
Civil Engineering LT B (3.25)
Speaker
Dr Oliver Amin
Institution
University of Nottingham, School of Physics and Astronomy
Title
Antiferromagnetic half-skyrmions, electrically generated and controlled in CuMnAs thin films

Abstract: Topologically protected magnetic textures, such as skyrmions, half-skyrmions (merons) and their antiparticles, constitute tiny whirls in the magnetic order. They are promising candidates for information carriers in next-generation memory devices, as they can be efficiently propelled at very high velocities using current-induced spin torques [1]. Antiferromagnets have been shown to host versions of these textures, which have gained significant attention because of their proposed terahertz dynamics, deflection free motion, and improved size scaling due to the absence of stray field [2].

 

In this talk, I will present our recent experimental data, showing that topological spin textures, merons and antimerons, can be generated at room temperature and reversibly moved using electrical pulses in thin film CuMnAs, a semimetallic antiferromagnet that is a testbed system for spintronic applications [3]. This marks a crucial step towards realizing the full potential of antiferromagnetic thin films as active components in high density, high speed magnetic memory devices.

 

References:

[1] R. Tomasello et al., "A strategy for the design of skyrmion racetrack memories," Scientific reports, pp. 1-7, 2014.

[2] H. Jani et al., "Antiferromagnetic half-skyrmions and bimerons at room temperature," Nature, vol. 590, pp. 74-79, 2021.

[3] P. Wadley et al., "Electrical switching of an antiferromagnet," Science, vol. 351, pp. 587-590, 2016.