Berry-phase effects and electronic dynamics in noncollinear antiferromagnetic texture

Abstract

Antiferromagnets (AFMs), in contrast to ferromagnets, show a nontrivial magnetic structure with zero net magnetization. However, they share a number of spintronic effects with ferromagnets, including spin-pumping and spin transfer torques. Both phenomena stem from the coupled dynamics of free carriers and localized magnetic moments. In the present paper I study the adiabatic dynamics of a spin-polarized electrons in a metallic AFM exhibiting a noncollinear 120$^\circ$ magnetic structure. I show that the slowly varying AFM spin texture produces a non-Abelian gauge potential related to the time/space gradients of the N\'{e}el vectors. Corresponding emergent electric and magnetic fields induce rotation of spin and influence the orbital dynamics of free electrons. I discuss both the possibility of a topological spin Hall effect in the vicinity of topological AFM solitons with nonzero curvature and rotation of the electron spin traveling through the AFM domain wall.