using a single-spin magnetometer*

Antiferromagnetic (AF) materials have great potential in spintronic applications thanks to their sub-picosecond timescale dynamics, thermally stable spin order, and insensitivity to external magnetic fields. α-Fe₂O₃ is an AF insulator with canted spins that display weak ferromagnetism at room temperature. It has recently been used to demonstrate spin orbit torque manipulation of Néel order using spin Hall magnetoresistance as the readout mechanism [1,2]. To better understand the magnetism of α-Fe₂O₃ and how it is manipulated, here we report magnetic imaging of α-Fe₂O₃ thin films with a nitrogen-vacancy center based scanning magnetometer. Our results show sub-micron scale magnetic features detected 50 nm above the sample. We will discuss our progress in directly observing current switching of the Néel order in an insulating AF thin film.
[1] Cheng Y et al. PRL, (2020), 124(2)
[2] Zhang P et al. PRL, (2019), 123(24)