中国物理B ›› 2026, Vol. 35 ›› Issue (4): 47505-047505.doi: 10.1088/1674-1056/ae48c1

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Efficient magnon transport and magnon torque through the epitaxial antiferromagnetic insulator α-Fe2O3

Donglin Song(宋东霖)1,2,†, Fanyu Meng(孟凡毓)1,2,†, Mingyang Sun(孙铭扬)1,2, Hongrui Ni(倪泓睿)1,2, Jinhao Zou(邹锦豪)2, Zichen Yao(姚子忱)2, Zhenlong Guo(郭振龙)1,2, Yichi Zhang(张一驰)1,2, Liyan Zhang(张丽艳)3, Hongliang Bai(白洪亮)1, Wenping Zhou(周文平)4, and Yi Wang(王译)1,2,‡   

  1. 1 Key Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams (Dalian University of Technology), Ministry of Education, Dalian 116024, China;
    2 School of Physics, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China;
    3 School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China;
    4 Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Microscale Physics and Atom Innovation, and Research Center for Quantum Physics and Technologies, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China
  • 收稿日期:2025-12-20 修回日期:2026-02-09 接受日期:2026-02-23 发布日期:2026-04-07
  • 通讯作者: Yi Wang E-mail:yiwang@dlut.edu.cn
  • 基金资助:
    Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. T2495211, 12261131506, 12074052, and 12504121), the Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province of China (Grant Nos. 2021-YQ-06 and 2025-BS-0077), the Open Fund of the State Key Laboratory of Spintronics Devices and Technologies (Grant No. SPL- 2410), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant Nos. DUT24GJ204, DUT25Z2746, and DUT25RC(3)066).

Efficient magnon transport and magnon torque through the epitaxial antiferromagnetic insulator α-Fe2O3

Donglin Song(宋东霖)1,2,†, Fanyu Meng(孟凡毓)1,2,†, Mingyang Sun(孙铭扬)1,2, Hongrui Ni(倪泓睿)1,2, Jinhao Zou(邹锦豪)2, Zichen Yao(姚子忱)2, Zhenlong Guo(郭振龙)1,2, Yichi Zhang(张一驰)1,2, Liyan Zhang(张丽艳)3, Hongliang Bai(白洪亮)1, Wenping Zhou(周文平)4, and Yi Wang(王译)1,2,‡   

  1. 1 Key Laboratory of Materials Modification by Laser, Ion and Electron Beams (Dalian University of Technology), Ministry of Education, Dalian 116024, China;
    2 School of Physics, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China;
    3 School of Chemical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China;
    4 Inner Mongolia Key Laboratory of Microscale Physics and Atom Innovation, and Research Center for Quantum Physics and Technologies, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot 010021, China
  • Received:2025-12-20 Revised:2026-02-09 Accepted:2026-02-23 Published:2026-04-07
  • Contact: Yi Wang E-mail:yiwang@dlut.edu.cn
  • Supported by:
    Project supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. T2495211, 12261131506, 12074052, and 12504121), the Natural Science Foundation of Liaoning Province of China (Grant Nos. 2021-YQ-06 and 2025-BS-0077), the Open Fund of the State Key Laboratory of Spintronics Devices and Technologies (Grant No. SPL- 2410), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (Grant Nos. DUT24GJ204, DUT25Z2746, and DUT25RC(3)066).

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摘要： Magnons, as key carriers of spin angular momentum, enable spin transport without charge movement in magnetic insulators, thereby greatly reducing Joule heating in spintronic devices. Magnon-mediated spin torque (i.e., magnon torque) provides an alternative approach for efficient magnetization manipulation. However, magnon transmission through antiferromagnetic insulators still suffers from notable propagation losses, limiting the efficiency of magnon torque. Here, we fabricate high-quality epitaxial $\alpha $-Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$ thin films by magnetron sputtering that exhibit strong antiferromagnetic ordering, and successfully demonstrate highly efficient magnon transport and magnon torque in Pt/$\alpha $-Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$/NiFe devices at room temperature. It is observed that magnons propagate through a 20-nm-thick $\alpha $-Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$ layer with a significantly enhanced transmission efficiency of 75 %, about 2.5 times higher than that in previously reported NiO-based magnonic devices. Consequently, a pronounced magnon torque is exerted on the adjacent ferromagnetic layer. Our work demonstrates that $\alpha $-Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$ is a promising antiferromagnetic material for efficient magnon channels, advancing the study of energy-efficient, high-speed magnonic devices.

关键词: a-Fe2O3, spin-torque ferromagnetic resonance, magnon torque, efficient magnon transport

Abstract: Magnons, as key carriers of spin angular momentum, enable spin transport without charge movement in magnetic insulators, thereby greatly reducing Joule heating in spintronic devices. Magnon-mediated spin torque (i.e., magnon torque) provides an alternative approach for efficient magnetization manipulation. However, magnon transmission through antiferromagnetic insulators still suffers from notable propagation losses, limiting the efficiency of magnon torque. Here, we fabricate high-quality epitaxial $\alpha $-Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$ thin films by magnetron sputtering that exhibit strong antiferromagnetic ordering, and successfully demonstrate highly efficient magnon transport and magnon torque in Pt/$\alpha $-Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$/NiFe devices at room temperature. It is observed that magnons propagate through a 20-nm-thick $\alpha $-Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$ layer with a significantly enhanced transmission efficiency of 75 %, about 2.5 times higher than that in previously reported NiO-based magnonic devices. Consequently, a pronounced magnon torque is exerted on the adjacent ferromagnetic layer. Our work demonstrates that $\alpha $-Fe$_{2}$O$_{3}$ is a promising antiferromagnetic material for efficient magnon channels, advancing the study of energy-efficient, high-speed magnonic devices.

Key words: a-Fe2O3, spin-torque ferromagnetic resonance, magnon torque, efficient magnon transport

中图分类号:  (Spin transport effects)

  • 75.76.+j
75.50.Ee (Antiferromagnetics) 75.30.Ds (Spin waves) 76.50.+g (Ferromagnetic, antiferromagnetic, and ferrimagnetic resonances; spin-wave resonance)