Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in bulk and thin-film CuMnAs for antiferromagnetic memory applications

Authors

Ivan A. Zhuravlev, University of Nebraska–LincolnFollow
Anil Adhikari, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow
K. D. Belashchenko, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Document Type

Article

Date of this Version

10-2018

Citation

APPLIED PHYSICS LETTERS 113, 162404 (2018)

Comments

Published by AIP Publishing.

Abstract

CuMnAs with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy is proposed as an active material for antiferromagnetic memory. Information can be stored in the antiferromagnetic domain state, while writing and readout can rely on the existence of surface magnetization. It is predicted, based on first-principles calculations, that easy-axis anisotropy can be achieved in bulk CuMnAs by substituting a few percent of As atoms by Ge, Si, Al, or B. This effect is attributed to the changing occupation of certain electronic bands near the Fermi level induced by hole doping. The calculated temperature dependence of the magnetic anisotropy does not exhibit any anomalies. Thin CuMnAs(001) films are also predicted to have perpendicular magnetic anisotropy.