Efficient Electrical Spin Splitter Based on Nonrelativistic Collinear Antiferromagnetism

Spin-current generation by electrical means is among the core phenomena driving the field of spintronics. Using ab initio calculations we show that a room-temperature metallic collinear antiferro-magnet RuO2 allows for highly efficient spin-current generation, arising from anisotropically spin-split bands with conserved up and down spins along the Neel vector axis. The zero net moment antiferromagnet acts as an electrical spin splitter with a 34 degrees propagation angle between spin-up and spin-down currents. The corresponding spin conductivity is a factor of 3 larger than the record value from a survey of 20 000 nonmagnetic spin-Hall materials. We propose a versatile spin-splitter-torque concept circumventing limitations of spin-transfer and spin-orbit torques in present magnetic memory devices.

Automated summary

Through ab initio calculations, it was discovered that the metallic collinear antiferromagnet RuO2 can efficiently generate spin current at room temperature, with a 34 degrees propagation angle between spin-up and spin-down currents. The corresponding spin conductivity is three times larger than the highest value found in a survey of 20,000 nonmagnetic spin-Hall materials. A versatile spin-splitter-torque concept is proposed to overcome limitations in current magnetic memory devices.