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Researchers investigated current-induced magnetic switching in thin films of Mn3Sn, an antiferromagnetic Weyl semimetal, using ultrafast spatiotemporally resolved measurements. The study distinguishes two distinct switching mechanisms: a thermal pathway driven by Joule heating at lower current amplitudes, and a non-thermal pathway at higher current amplitudes that operates independently of heat dissipation. These findings provide direct experimental evidence that non-thermal spin-torque mechanisms can drive ultrafast magnetic state transitions in antiferromagnetic materials.
Why it matters
Antiferromagnetic materials are promising candidates for next-generation memory and spintronic devices due to their stability and terahertz-scale dynamics, and identifying non-thermal switching pathways could enable faster and more energy-efficient data storage technologies.
Nature Materials, Published online: 04 December 2025; doi:10.1038/s41563-025-02402-8
This study reveals spatiotemporally resolved current-induced switching in Mn3Sn thin films, identifying both thermal and non-thermal mechanisms depending on the amplitude of the current.