Narrow-band tunable terahertz detector in antiferromagnets via staggered-field and antidamping torques

Gomonay O, Jungwirth T, Sinova J (2018)

Publication Type: Journal article

Publication year: 2018

Journal

Physical Review B American Physical Society

Book Volume: 98

Article Number: 104430

Journal Issue: 10

DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevB.98.104430

Abstract

We study dynamics of antiferromagnets induced by simultaneous application of dc spin current and ac charge current, motivated by the requirement of all-electrically controlled devices in the terahertz (THz) gap (0.1-30 THz). We show that ac electric current, via Néel spin-orbit torques, can lock the phase of a steady rotating Néel vector whose precession is controlled by a dc spin current. In the phase-locking regime the frequency of the incoming ac signal coincides with the frequency of auto-oscillations, which for typical antiferromagnets falls into the THz range. The frequency of auto-oscillations is proportional to the precession-induced tilting of the magnetic sublattices related to the so-called dynamical magnetization. We show how the incoming ac signal can be detected and formulate the conditions of phase locking. We also show that the rotating Néel vector can generate ac electrical current via inverse Néel spin-orbit torque. Hence, antiferromagnets driven by dc spin current can be used as tunable detectors and emitters of narrow-band signals operating in the THz range.

Involved external institutions

Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz (JGU) DE Germany (DE) Institute of Physics of the Czech Academy of Sciences / Fyzikální ústav Akademie věd České republiky (FZU) CZ Czech Republic (CZ)

How to cite

APA:

Gomonay, O., Jungwirth, T., & Sinova, J. (2018). Narrow-band tunable terahertz detector in antiferromagnets via staggered-field and antidamping torques. Physical Review B, 98(10). https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.98.104430

MLA:

Gomonay, Olena, Tomas Jungwirth, and Jairo Sinova. "Narrow-band tunable terahertz detector in antiferromagnets via staggered-field and antidamping torques." Physical Review B 98.10 (2018).

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