Control of Néel Vector with Spin-Orbit Torques in an Antiferromagnetic Insulator with Tilted Easy Plane
Pengxiang Zhang, Chung-Tao Chou, Hwanhui Yun, Brooke C. McGoldrick, Justin T. Hou, K. Andre Mkhoyan, Luqiao Liu
Abstract
Injecting spin currents into antiferromagnets and realizing efficient spin-orbit-torque switching represents a challenging topic. Because of the diminishing magnetic susceptibility, current-induced antiferromagnetic dynamics remain poorly characterized, complicated by spurious effects. Here, by growing a thin film antiferromagnet, α-Fe_{2}O_{3}, along its nonbasal plane orientation, we realize a configuration where the spin-orbit torque from an injected spin current can unambiguously rotate and switch the Néel vector within the tilted easy plane, with an efficiency comparable to that of classical ferrimagnetic insulators. Our study introduces a new platform for quantitatively characterizing switching and oscillation dynamics in antiferromagnets.