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Anisotropic magneto thermal power imaging of spin-orbit torque switching in antiferromagnetic films

Publication at Faculty of Mathematics and Physics |
2019

Abstract

Spin-orbit coupling effects such as the electrical anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) and the X-ray magnetic linear dichroism in combination with photoemission electron microscopy (XMLD-PEEM) have been used so far to reveal some of the most important properties of antiferromagnets, namely the ultrafast and the neuron-like switching of antiferromagnetic domains. By exploiting the equivalent thermal effect, the anisotropic magneto thermal power (AMTP), in patterned antiferromagnetic CuMnAs films, we resolve magnetic domains in response to locally generated thermal gradients.

We image the effects of reversible spin-orbit torque switching and find a direct correlation between spin-orbit torque induced changes in the locally generated AMTP signal and in the anisotropic magnetoresistance response. We confirm the magnetic domain structure by comparing our thermo-electric measurements with XMLD-PEEM.