Dirac Nodal Line Metal for Topological Antiferromagnetic Spintronics

Ding-Fu Shao, Gautam Gurung, Shu-Hui Zhang, and Evgeny Y. Tsymbal
Phys. Rev. Lett. 122, 077203 – Published 20 February 2019
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Abstract

Topological antiferromagnetic (AFM) spintronics is an emerging field of research, which exploits the Néel vector to control the topological electronic states and the associated spin-dependent transport properties. A recently discovered Néel spin-orbit torque has been proposed to electrically manipulate Dirac band crossings in antiferromagnets; however, a reliable AFM material to realize these properties in practice is missing. In this Letter, we predict that room-temperature AFM metal MnPd2 allows the electrical control of the Dirac nodal line by the Néel spin-orbit torque. Based on first-principles density functional theory calculations, we show that reorientation of the Néel vector leads to switching between the symmetry-protected degenerate state and the gapped state associated with the dispersive Dirac nodal line at the Fermi energy. The calculated spin Hall conductivity strongly depends on the Néel vector orientation and can be used to experimentally detect the predicted effect using a proposed spin-orbit torque device. Our results indicate that AFM Dirac nodal line metal MnPd2 represents a promising material for topological AFM spintronics.

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  • Received 2 November 2018

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.077203

© 2019 American Physical Society

Physics Subject Headings (PhySH)

Condensed Matter, Materials & Applied Physics

Authors & Affiliations

Ding-Fu Shao1,*, Gautam Gurung1, Shu-Hui Zhang2, and Evgeny Y. Tsymbal1,†

  • 1Department of Physics and Astronomy & Nebraska Center for Materials and Nanoscience, University of Nebraska, Lincoln, Nebraska 68588-0299, USA
  • 2College of Science, Beijing University of Chemical Technology, Beijing 100029, People’s Republic of China

  • *dfshao@unl.edu
  • tsymbal@unl.edu

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Issue

Vol. 122, Iss. 7 — 22 February 2019

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