Local setting of spin textures in a granular antiferromagnet
Résumé
Controlling the magnetic order of antiferromagnets is challenging due to their vanishing netmagnetization. For
this reason, the study of local spin textures in antiferromagnets is restricted by the difficulty in nucleating such
states. Here, using atomistic simulations we demonstrate a method for nucleating localized spin textures in the
grains of the thin-film antiferromagnet γ -IrMn3. Utilizing the exchange bias coupling between a ferromagnet and
an antiferromagnet, we set the spin texture in the latter from a predefined spin texture in the former by means of
a thermal cycling procedure. The local textures set in the antiferromagnetic grains are shown to be stable against
field perturbations. We also discuss how various material parameters affect the efficiency of the setting and the
characteristics of these set textures. The setting of antiferromagnetic spin textures provides a potential route to
antiferromagnetic spintronic devices with noncollinear spin states such as skyrmions, bubbles, and domain walls.
Domaines
Matière Condensée [cond-mat]Origine | Fichiers éditeurs autorisés sur une archive ouverte |
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