Domain periodicity in an easy-plane antiferromagnet with Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction

Abstract

Antiferromagnetic spintronics is a promising emerging paradigm to develop high-performance computing and communications devices. Antiferromagnetic materials are more abundant than ferromagnets; hence, from a theoretical point of view, it is important to implement simulation tools that can support a data-driven development of materials having specific properties for applications. Here, we present a study focusing on the fundamental properties of antiferromagnetic materials having an easy-plane anisotropy and interfacial Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (IDMI). An analytical theory is developed and benchmarked against full numerical micromagnetic simulations, describing the main properties of the ground state in antiferromagnets and how it is possible to estimate the IDMI from experimental measurements. The effect of the IDMI on the electrical switching dynamics of the antiferromagnetic element is also analyzed. Our theoretical results have implication in the design of multiterminal heavy-metal/antiferromagnet memory devices.