Cross-sublattice spin pumping and magnon level attraction in van der Waals antiferromagnets

Abstract

We theoretically study spin pumping from a layered van der Waals antiferromagnet in its canted ground state into an adjacent normal metal. We find that the resulting dc spin pumping current bears contributions along all spin directions. Our analysis allows for detecting intra- and cross-sublattice spin-mixing conductances via measuring the two in-plane spin current components. We further show that sublattice symmetry-breaking Gilbert damping can be realized via interface engineering and induces a dissipative coupling between the optical and acoustic magnon modes. This realizes magnon level attraction and exceptional points in the system. Furthermore, the dissipative coupling and cross-sublattice spin pumping contrive to produce an unconventional spin current in the out-of-plane direction. Our findings provide a route to extract the spin mixing conductance matrix and uncovers the unique opportunities, such as level attraction, offered by van der Waals antiferromagnet-normal metal hybrids.