Quantitative Study on Current-Induced Effect in an Antiferromagnet Insulator/Pt Bilayer Film

Abstract

Quantitative investigation on the current-induced torque in antiferromagnets represents a great challenge, due to the lack of an independent method for controlling N\'eel vectors. Here by utilizing an antiferromagnetic insulator with Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction, {\alpha}-Fe2O3, we show that the N\'eel vector can be controlled with a moderate external field, which is further utilized to calibrate the current-induced magnetic dynamics. We find that the current-induced magnetoresistance change in antiferromagnets can be complicated by resistive switching that does not have a magnetic origin. By excluding non-magnetic switching and comparing the current-induced dynamics with the field-induced one, we determine the nature and magnitude of current-induced effects in Pt/{\alpha}-Fe2O3 bilayer films.