Anomalous Hall Effect-Like Behavior with In-Plane Magnetic Field in Noncollinear Antiferromagnetic Mn3Sn Films

Magnetotransport is at the center of spintronics. Mn3Sn single crystals, an antiferromagnet that has a noncollinear 120 degrees spin order, exhibit large anomalous Hall effect (AHE) at room temperature. But such a behavior has remained elusive in epitaxial Mn3Sn films. Here the observation of AHE-like behavior with in-plane magnetic field up to room temperature in quasi-epitaxial Mn3Sn thin films, prepared by magnetron sputtering, is reported. The growth of both (1120)- and (0001)-oriented Mn3Sn films provides a unique opportunity for comparing AHE-like behavior in three different measurement configurations. When the magnetic field is swept along (0001) plane, such as the direction of [0110] and [2110], the films show comparatively higher Hall conductivity than its perpendicular counterpart [0001], irrespective of their respectively orthogonal current along [0001] or [0110]. A quite weak ferromagnetic moment of approximate to 3 emu cm(-3) is obtained in (1120)-oriented Mn3Sn films, guaranteeing the switching of the Hall signals with magnetization reversal. This finding would advance the integration of Mn3Sn in antiferromagnetic spintronics.