Banabir Pal

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Spintronics aims to go beyond the charge-based paradigm of silicon microelectronics by
utilizing the spin degree of freedom. While the field has achieved significant success, the
reliance on ferromagnets (FMs) introduces bottlenecks regarding thermal stability, switching
speed, and energy efficiency. My research addresses these limitations by exploring the frontier
of 'post-ferromagnetic' spintronics, specifically focusing on non-collinear antiferromagnets
(NCAFs) [1].
NCAFs uniquely combine the advantages of FMs (efficient reading and writing) with those of
antiferromagnets (negligible stray fields and ultrafast dynamics). In this talk, I will present
recent advances in this field, with a special focus on the topological semimetal Mn3Sn. Key
topics include the electrical manipulation [2] and efficient reading [3] of the NCAF order, as
well as the generation of unconventional spin-orbit torques [4, 5]. Finally, I show that although
key components of spintronic devices based on NCAFs have been demonstrated, a wide range
of open questions remain to be answered. Thus, the field of NCAFs is a vibrant and exciting
subfield of spintronics with much potential for next-generation memory and computing
technologies.

References:

[1] B. H. Rimmler, B. Pal, and S. S. P. Parkin, Nat. Rev. Mater. 10, 109 (2025)
[2] B. Pal et al., Sci. Adv. 8, eabo5930 (2022)
[3] B. H. Rimmler, B. K. Hazra, B. Pal et al., Adv. Mater. 35, 2209616 (2023)
[4] A. Pandey, …, B. Pal et al., Phys. Rev. Research 7, L042058 (2025)
[5] B. K. Hazra, B. Pal et al., Nat. Commun. 14, 4549 (2023)

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Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics - Halle
PH2
Contact: Erwann Bocquillon / Matteo Cacco