Electron-magnon spin conversion and magnonic spin pumping in an antiferromagnet/heavy metal heterostructure

Abstract

We study the exchange between electron and magnon spins at the interface of an antiferromagnet and a heavy metal at finite temperatures. The underlying physical mechanism is based on spin torque associated with the creation/annihilation of thermal magnons with right-hand and left-hand polarization. The creation/annihilation process depends strongly on the relative orientation between the polarization of the electron and the magnon spins. For a sufficiently strong spin transfer torque (STT), the conversion process becomes nonlinear, generating a nonzero net spin pumping current in the AFM that can detected in the neighboring metal layer. Applying an external magnetic field renders possible the manipulation of the STT driving thermal spin pumping. Our theoretical results are experimentally feasible and are of a direct relevance to antiferromagnet-based spintronic devices.