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3707514 
Journal Article 
Multiple-stable anisotropic magnetoresistance memory in antiferromagnetic MnTe 
Kriegner, D; Výborný, K; Olejník, K; Reichlová, H; Novák, V; Marti, X; Gazquez, J; Saidl, V; Němec, P; Volobuev, VV; Springholz, G; Holý, V; Jungwirth, T 
2016 
1 
Nature Communications
EISSN: 2041-1723 
7 
11623 
English 
27279433 
WOS:000377909800001 
Commercial magnetic memories rely on the bistability of ordered spins in ferromagnetic materials. Recently, experimental bistable memories have been realized using fully compensated antiferromagnetic metals. Here we demonstrate a multiple-stable memory device in epitaxial MnTe, an antiferromagnetic counterpart of common II-VI semiconductors. Favourable micromagnetic characteristics of MnTe allow us to demonstrate a smoothly varying zero-field antiferromagnetic anisotropic magnetoresistance (AMR) with a harmonic angular dependence on the writing magnetic field angle, analogous to ferromagnets. The continuously varying AMR provides means for the electrical read-out of multiple-stable antiferromagnetic memory states, which we set by heat-assisted magneto-recording and by changing the writing field direction. The multiple stability in our memory is ascribed to different distributions of domains with the Néel vector aligned along one of the three magnetic easy axes. The robustness against strong magnetic field perturbations combined with the multiple stability of the magnetic memory states are unique properties of antiferromagnets.