Detection and manipulation of the antiferromagnetic Néel vector in Cr2O3

Abstract

Detection and manipulation of the N\'eel vector in antiferromagnetic materials are promising for more stable, faster, and much higher-density spintronic devices. However, the electrical manipulation of the antiferromagnetic N\'eel vector remains challenging and controversial due to the difficulty in the detection of the zero net magnetization and the unavoidable complications from thermal artifacts. In this work, by utilizing the uniaxial antiferromagnet (AFM) ${\mathrm{Cr}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$, we demonstrate the detection and manipulation of the antiferromagnetic N\'eel vector. We reveal unambiguously the spin-dependent electrical responses of the coherent ${\mathrm{Cr}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ N\'eel vector switching, where a symmetric Hall signal and a fourfold angular-dependent magnetoresistance are captured. We also demonstrate the in-plane arbitrary manipulation of the ${\mathrm{Cr}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ N\'eel vector when the magnetocrystalline anisotropy energy is compensated. Our work for detecting and manipulating N\'eel vectors offers a critical guide for antiferromagnetic-based N\'eel vector switching exploration.