研究実績の概要 |
Spin transport is the key process for the operation of spin-based devices, which has been the focus of the spintronics research in the last two decades. The conductive materials such as semiconductors and metals, in which the spin transport relies on electron diffusion, were employed as the channels for spin transport in most studies. Recently, it is found that spin current can also transmit antiferromagnetic insulators, which opens a direction of spin current channel material development. In this project, we demonstrate the manipulation of the spin conduction in antiferromagnetic insulator by its Neel vector rotation. It is found that the spin current can most effectively transmit an antiferromagnetic insulator when the spin is parallel to the Neel vector, and get blocked when the Neel vector is orthogonal to the spin orientation. These results set the foundation for insulator-based spin current switch in future spin circuit development. The spin Hall magnetoresistance of the heavy metal/antiferromagnetic insulator is also calculated in materials with different types of anisotropies. It is shown that the spin Hall magnetoresistance can be used as an effective probe for the magnetic structure and anisotropy in antiferromagnetic materials.
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