Spin-orbit torque switching of an antiferromagnetic metallic heterostructure

The ability to represent information using an antiferromagnetic material is attractive for future antiferromagnetic spintronic devices. Previous studies have focussed on the utilization of antiferromagnetic materials with biaxial magnetic anisotropy for electrical manipulation. A practical realization of these antiferromagnetic devices is limited by the requirement of material-specific constraints. Here, we demonstrate current-induced switching in a polycrystalline PtMn/Pt metallic heterostructure. A comparison of electrical transport measurements in PtMn with and without the Pt layer, corroborated by x-ray imaging, reveals reversible switching of the thermally-stable antiferromagnetic Neel vector by spin-orbit torques. The presented results demonstrate the potential of polycrystalline metals for antiferromagnetic spintronics. Antiferromagnets (AFMs) are prospective for future spintronic devices, owing to their speed and insensitivity to perturbations. Using a combination of electronic and magnetic dichroism measurements, the authors demonstrate reversible current-induced switching of the Neel vector in AFM PtMn.