Electrical switching of the perpendicular Néel order in a collinear antiferromagnet

Spintronics is based on the electrical manipulation of magnetic order through current-induced spin torques. In collinear antiferromagnets with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy, binary states can be directly encoded in their opposite Néel order. The negligible stray fields and terahertz spin dynamics of these systems mean that they could potentially be used to develop ultrafast memory devices with high integration density. Here we report electrical switching of the perpendicular Néel order in a collinear antiferromagnet. We show that the Néel order in a prototypical collinear antiferromagnetic insulator—chromium oxide (Cr2O3)—can be switched by the spin–orbit torque with a low current density (5.8 × 106 A cm−2) and read out by the anomalous Hall effect. We also show that the magnetization of a Y3Fe5O12 film exchange-coupled to the Cr2O3 layer can be electrically switched, confirming the Néel order switching of the Cr2O3 layer. The perpendicular Néel order in a collinear antiferromagnetic insulator—chromium oxide—can be switched by 180° via the spin–orbit torque with a low current density of 5.8 × 106 A cm−2 and read out via the anomalous Hall effect.