How to produce spin-splitting in antiferromagnetic materials

Abstract

Antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials have potential advantages for spintronics due to their robustness, ultrafast dynamics, and magnetotransport effects. However, the missing spontaneous polarization and magnetization hinders the efficient utilization of electronic spin in these AFM materials. Here, we propose a simple way to produce spin-splitting in AFM materials by making the magnetic atoms with opposite spin polarization locating in the different environment (surrounding atomic arrangement), which does not necessarily require the presence of spin-orbital coupling (SOC). We confirm our proposal by four different types of two-dimensional (2D) AFM materials within the first-principles calculations. Our works provide an intuitional design principle to find or produce spin-splitting in AFM materials.

Spontaneous and reversible spin-splitting in ferroelectric A-type antiferromagnetism

“…Moreover, an intuitional design principle to find or produce spin-splitting in AFM materials has been proposed by making the magnetic atoms with opposite spin polarization locating in a different environment. 24 Altermagnetism and EPD-AFM are the representative examples. For altermagnetism, the two different environments can be connected by special symmetry operation.…”

“…The CrMoC 2 S 6 monolayer contains two magnetic atoms 3d Cr and 4d Mo with the same surrounding atomic arrangement, and the energy level of 4d electrons is higher than that of 3d ones, giving rise to spin splitting. 24 For V 2 F 7 Cl monolayer, the two V atoms have different levels of Jahn–Teller distortion with different splitting sizes, producing spin splitting. 24…”

“…24 For V 2 F 7 Cl monolayer, the two V atoms have different levels of Jahn–Teller distortion with different splitting sizes, producing spin splitting. 24…”

“…For our proposed system as a special EPD-AFM, the absolute values of the magnetic moments of two magnetic atoms (up and down) are not strictly equal. 23,24…”