Dirac Nodal Line Metal for Topological Antiferromagnetic Spintronics

Authors

Ding-Fu Shao, University of Nebraska - LincolnFollow
Gautam Gurung, University of Nebraska - Lincoln
Shu-Hui Zhang, Beijing University of Chemical Technology
Evgeny Y. Tsymbal, University of Nebraska-LincolnFollow

Date of this Version

2-20-2019

Citation

Physical Review Letters 122, 077203 (2019).
DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.122.077203

Comments

Copyright 2019 American Physical Society. Used by permission.

Abstract

Topological antiferromagnetic (AFM) spintronics is an emerging field of research, which exploits the N´eel vector to control the topological electronic states and the associated spin-dependent transport properties. A recently discovered N´eel spin-orbit torque has been proposed to electrically manipulate Dirac band crossings in antiferromagnets; however, a reliable AFM material to realize these properties in practice is missing. In this Letter, we predict that room-temperature AFM metal MnPd₂ allows the electrical control of the Dirac nodal line by the N´eel spin-orbit torque. Based on first-principles density functional theory calculations, we show that reorientation of the N´eel vector leads to switching between the symmetryprotected degenerate state and the gapped state associated with the dispersive Dirac nodal line at the Fermi energy. The calculated spin Hall conductivity strongly depends on the N´eel vector orientation and can be used to experimentally detect the predicted effect using a proposed spin-orbit torque device. Our results indicate that AFM Dirac nodal line metal MnPd₂ represents a promising material for topological AFM spintronics.