Non-Collinear Spin Current for Switching of Chiral Magnetic Textures

TL;DR

This paper introduces the concept of non-collinear spin currents in non-magnetic crystals, demonstrating their potential to switch chiral magnetic textures in antiferromagnets, opening new avenues for electric control of spin structures.

Contribution

It proposes and theoretically demonstrates the existence of non-collinear spin Hall currents and their ability to switch chiral spin textures without external magnetic fields.

Findings

Non-collinear spin currents can exist in layered Kagome Mn3X compounds.

Such currents can deterministically switch chiral magnetic textures.

The predictions are experimentally testable and relevant for spintronic applications.

Abstract

We propose a concept of non-collinear spin current, whose spin polarization varies in space even in non-magnetic crystals. While it is commonly assumed that the spin polarization of the spin Hall current is uniform, asymmetric local crystal potential generally allows the spin polarization to be non-collinear in space. Based on microscopic considerations we demonstrate that such non-collinear spin Hall currents can be observed for example in layered Kagome Mn$_3$X (X = Ge, Sn) compounds. Moreover, by referring to atomistic spin dynamics simulations we show that non-collinear spin currents can be used to switch the chiral spin texture of Mn$_3$X in a deterministic way even in the absence of an external magnetic field. Our theoretical prediction can be readily tested in experiments, which will open a novel route toward electric control of complex spin structures in non-collinear antiferromagnets.