An Antiferromagnetic Spin Phase Change Memory

Overview

Journal Nat Commun

Specialty Biology

Date 2024 Jun 11

PMID 38862537

Authors

Han Yan

Hongye Mao

Peixin Qin

Jinhua Wang

Haidong Liang

Xiaorong Zhou

Xiaoning Wang

Hongyu Chen

Ziang Meng

Li Liu

Guojian Zhao

Zhiyuan Duan

Zengwei Zhu

Bin Fang

Zhongming Zeng

Andrew A Bettiol

Qinghua Zhang

Peizhe Tang

Chengbao Jiang

Zhiqi Liu

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The electrical outputs of single-layer antiferromagnetic memory devices relying on the anisotropic magnetoresistance effect are typically rather small at room temperature. Here we report a new type of antiferromagnetic memory based on the spin phase change in a Mn-Ir binary intermetallic thin film at a composition within the phase boundary between its collinear and noncollinear phases. Via a small piezoelectric strain, the spin structure of this composition-boundary metal is reversibly interconverted, leading to a large nonvolatile room-temperature resistance modulation that is two orders of magnitude greater than the anisotropic magnetoresistance effect for a metal, mimicking the well-established phase change memory from a quantum spin degree of freedom. In addition, this antiferromagnetic spin phase change memory exhibits remarkable time and temperature stabilities, and is robust in a magnetic field high up to 60 T.

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