Antihelical edge magnons in patterned antiferromagnetic thin films

Helical edge states in topological insulators generate a counterpropagating spin current on the two parallel edges. We here propose antihelical edge states of magnons in patterned antiferromagnetic thin films, which host a copropagating spin current on the two parallel edges, where the two magnon mo...

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Main Author: Yun-Mei Li
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American Physical Society 2023-07-01
Series:Physical Review Research
Online Access:http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.5.033026
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author Yun-Mei Li
author_facet Yun-Mei Li
author_sort Yun-Mei Li
collection DOAJ
description Helical edge states in topological insulators generate a counterpropagating spin current on the two parallel edges. We here propose antihelical edge states of magnons in patterned antiferromagnetic thin films, which host a copropagating spin current on the two parallel edges, where the two magnon modes with opposite chirality act like the spin. The embedded heavy metal dot array in the thin film induces interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions (iDMIs), drives the magnon bands into nontrivial topological phases, characterized by spin Chern number. The resulting helical edge modes lead to spin current with the direction dependent on the sign of the iDMI parameter. In a strip geometry, we combine two subsystems with two embedded metal dot arrays, which give opposite iDMI parameters. Antihelical edge states emerge, compensated by the counterpropagating bulk-confined states. Helical and antihelical edge states are verified by the micromagnetic simulations. We consider these results promising and inspiring for further developments of magnon spintronic devices based on antiferromagnets.
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spelling doaj.art-45409fea65174b61a522fa71ffaf5f392024-04-12T17:32:27ZengAmerican Physical SocietyPhysical Review Research2643-15642023-07-015303302610.1103/PhysRevResearch.5.033026Antihelical edge magnons in patterned antiferromagnetic thin filmsYun-Mei LiHelical edge states in topological insulators generate a counterpropagating spin current on the two parallel edges. We here propose antihelical edge states of magnons in patterned antiferromagnetic thin films, which host a copropagating spin current on the two parallel edges, where the two magnon modes with opposite chirality act like the spin. The embedded heavy metal dot array in the thin film induces interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interactions (iDMIs), drives the magnon bands into nontrivial topological phases, characterized by spin Chern number. The resulting helical edge modes lead to spin current with the direction dependent on the sign of the iDMI parameter. In a strip geometry, we combine two subsystems with two embedded metal dot arrays, which give opposite iDMI parameters. Antihelical edge states emerge, compensated by the counterpropagating bulk-confined states. Helical and antihelical edge states are verified by the micromagnetic simulations. We consider these results promising and inspiring for further developments of magnon spintronic devices based on antiferromagnets.http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.5.033026
spellingShingle Yun-Mei Li
Antihelical edge magnons in patterned antiferromagnetic thin films
Physical Review Research
title Antihelical edge magnons in patterned antiferromagnetic thin films
title_full Antihelical edge magnons in patterned antiferromagnetic thin films
title_fullStr Antihelical edge magnons in patterned antiferromagnetic thin films
title_full_unstemmed Antihelical edge magnons in patterned antiferromagnetic thin films
title_short Antihelical edge magnons in patterned antiferromagnetic thin films
title_sort antihelical edge magnons in patterned antiferromagnetic thin films
url http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevResearch.5.033026
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