Large anomalous Nernst effect at room temperature in a chiral antiferromagnet

TL;DR

This study reports a large anomalous Nernst effect at room temperature in a chiral antiferromagnet, Mn$_3$Sn, driven by Berry curvature near Weyl points, opening new avenues for thermoelectric applications using topological magnets.

Contribution

The paper demonstrates a significant anomalous Nernst effect in an antiferromagnet, linked to Berry curvature, which was previously thought to be limited to ferromagnets.

Findings

Large ANE observed at zero magnetic field in Mn$_3$Sn

ANE magnitude comparable to ferromagnetic metals

Berry curvature from Weyl points explains the large ANE

Abstract

Temperature gradient in a ferromagnetic conductor may generate a spontaneous transverse voltage drop in the direction perpendicular to both magnetization and heat current. This anomalous Nernst effect (ANE) has been considered to be proportional to the magnetization, and thus observed only in ferromagnets, while recent theories indicate that ANE provides a measure of the Berry curvature at the Fermi energy $E_{\rm F}$. Here we report the observation of a large ANE at zero field in the chiral antiferromagnet Mn$_3$Sn. Despite a very small magnetization $\sim 0.002$ $\mu_{\rm B}/$Mn, the transverse Seebeck coefficient at zero field is $\sim 0.35~\mu$V/K at room temperature and reaches $\sim 0.6~\mu$V/K at 200 K, comparable with the maximum value known for a ferromagnetic metal. Our first-principles calculation reveals that the large ANE comes from a significantly enhanced Berry curvature associated with the Weyl points nearby $E_{\rm F}$. The ANE is geometrically convenient for the thermoelectric power generation, as it enables a lateral configuration of the modules to efficiently cover the heat source. Our observation of the large ANE in an antiferromagnet paves a way to develop a new class of thermoelectric material using topological magnets to fabricate an efficient, densely integrated thermopile.