Accessible overview

Physical phenomena in condensed matter typically arise from the collective effects of all atoms in a solid, while selectively addressing a single atomic sublattice is elusive. A prime example is antiferromagnetic materials, which consist of two or more ferromagnetically ordered sublattices that neutralize each other, rendering the antiferromagnets inert to external stimuli. If one of these sublattices could be selectively addressed, it would open exciting opportunities for exploring new physics and spintronic applications. This work illustrates such a remarkable property by introducing X-type antiferromagnetic stacking, an uncharted class of magnetic stacking in which two magnetic sublattices form a pattern of intersecting atomic chains. The associated cross-chain antiferromagnets with X-type stacking, dubbed X-type antiferromagnets, enable one magnetic sublattice to conduct while the other acts as an insulator, effectively combining both properties within the same material. Consequently, passing an electric current through X-type antiferromagnets exerts spin torque solely on a single magnetic sublattice, enabling deterministic switching of the antiferromagnetic domains. This discovery paves the way for exploring novel fundamental physics related to sublattice selectivity and opens an avenue for realizing advanced spintronic functionalities with enhanced performance.

Link to the article: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S295063602500060X?via%3Dihub