Band structure of CuMnAs probed by optical and photoemission spectroscopy

TL;DR

This study combines optical and photoemission spectroscopy with theoretical calculations to analyze the electronic band structure of CuMnAs, a promising material for antiferromagnetic spintronics, confirming atomic positions and electronic properties.

Contribution

It provides experimental validation of the electronic structure and atomic positions in CuMnAs, supporting its potential in spintronic applications.

Findings

AC permittivity matches density functional calculations

UV photoelectron spectra agree with theoretical predictions

Atomic positions confirmed by diffraction techniques

Abstract

Tetragonal phase of CuMnAs progressively appears as one of the key materials for antiferromagnetic spintronics due to efficient current-induced spin-orbit torques whose existence can be directly inferred from crystal symmetry. Theoretical understanding of spintronic phenomena in this material, however, relies on the detailed knowledge of electronic structure (band structure and corresponding wave functions) which has so far been tested only to a limited extent. We show that AC permittivity (obtained from ellipsometry) and UV photoelectron spectra agree with density functional calculations. Together with the x-ray diffraction and precession electron diffraction tomography, our analysis confirms recent theoretical claim [Phys.Rev.B 96, 094406 (2017)] that copper atoms occupy lattice positions in the basal plane of the tetragonal unit cell.