Vector spin Seebeck effect and spin swapping effect in antiferromagnetic insulators with non-collinear spin structure

TL;DR

This paper reports the observation of the vector spin Seebeck effect and spin swapping in non-collinear antiferromagnetic insulators, highlighting their potential for advanced spintronic and spin caloritronic applications.

Contribution

It demonstrates the experimental observation of the vector spin Seebeck effect in non-collinear LuFeO₃ and links it to the spin swapping effect, advancing understanding of spin phenomena in non-collinear AFs.

Findings

Observation of magneto-thermovoltage under in-plane temperature gradient

Confirmation of the spin swapping effect in non-collinear AFs

Identification of non-collinear spin structure's role in spin phenomena

Abstract

Antiferromagnets (AFs) are prospective for next-generation high-density and high-speed spintronic applications due to their negligible stray field and ultrafast spin dynamics, notwithstanding the challenges in detecting and manipulating AF order with no magnetization (M = 0). Among the AFs, non-collinear AFs are of particular interest because of their unique properties arising from the non-collinear spin structure and the small magnetization M. In this work, we describe the recently observed vector spin Seebeck effect in non-collinear LuFeO$_3$, where the magneto-thermovoltage under an in-plane temperature gradient, not previously observed, is consistent with the predicted spin swapping effect. Our results shed light on the importance of the non-collinear spin structure in the emerging spin phenomena in non-collinear AFs and offer a new class of materials for AF spintronics and spin caloritronics.