Magnon versus electron mediated spin-transfer torque exerted by spin currents across antiferromagnetic insulator to switch magnetization of adjacent ferromagnetic metal

TL;DR

This study uses advanced simulations to compare magnon-mediated and electron-mediated spin-transfer torques, revealing that magnons can dominate magnetization switching, paving the way for all-magnon-driven devices.

Contribution

It introduces a combined TDNEGF+LLG simulation approach to analyze magnon and electron spin-transfer torques in magnetic junctions, highlighting the dominance of magnon-mediated effects.

Findings

Magnon-mediated spin-transfer torque can effectively switch magnetization.

Switching via MSTT requires larger pulses than electron-mediated STT.

MSTT can dominate over ESTT when electronic contributions are suppressed.

Abstract

The recent experiment [Y. Wang et al., Science 366, 1125 (2019)] on magnon-mediated spin-transfer torque (MSTT) was interpreted in terms of a picture where magnons are excited within an antiferromagnetic insulator (AFI), by applying nonequilibrium electronic spin density at one of its surfaces, so that their propagation across AFI deprived of conduction electrons eventually leads to reversal of magnetization of a ferromagnetic metal (FM) attached to the opposite surface of AFI. We employ a recently developed time-dependent nonequilibrium Green functions combined with the Landau-Lifshitz-Gilbert equation (TDNEGF+LLG) formalism to evolve conduction electrons quantum-mechanically while they interact via self-consistent back-action with localized magnetic moments described classically by atomistic spin dynamics solving a system of LLG equations. Upon injection of square current pulse as the initial condition, TDNEGF+LLG simulations of FM-polarizer/AFI/FM-analyzer junctions show that reversal of localized magnetic moments within FM-analyzer is less efficient, in the sense of requiring larger pulse height and its longer duration, than conventional electron-mediated STT (ESTT) driving magnetization switching in standard FM-polarizer/normal-metal/FM-analyzer spin valve. Since both electronic, generated by spin pumping from AFI, and magnonic, generated by direct transmission from AFI, spin currents are injected into the FM-analyzer, its localized magnetic moments will experience combined MSTT and ESTT. Nevertheless, by artificially turning off ESTT we demonstrate that MSTT plays a dominant role whose understanding, therefore, paves the way for all-magnon-driven magnetization switching devices with no electronic parts.