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arXiv · 1702.00295

Spin-polarized current in non-collinear antiferromagnets

Abstract

Noncollinear antiferromagnets, such as Mn$_3$Sn and Mn$_3$Ir, were recently shown to be analogous to ferromagnets in that they have a large anomalous Hall effect. Here we show that these materials are similar to ferromagnets in another aspect: the charge current in these materials is spin-polarized. In addition, we show that the same mechanism that leads to the spin-polarized current also leads to a transverse spin current, which has a distinct symmetry and origin from the conventional spin Hall effect. We illustrate the existence of the spin-polarized current and the transverse spin current by performing \emph{ab initio} microscopic calculations and by analyzing the symmetry. We discuss possible applications of these novel spin currents, such as an antiferromagnetic metallic or tunneling junction.

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Jakub Zelezny, Yang Zhang, Claudia Felser, Binghai Yan. 2018-09-28. Spin-polarized current in non-collinear antiferromagnets. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.119.187204

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