Spin Hall magnetoresistance in an antiferromagnetic magnetoelectric Cr2O3/heavy-metal W heterostructure

The spin Hall magnetoresistance (SMR) effect is studied in a magnetoelectric Cr2O3/heavy-metal W heterostructure. The Cr2O3 film is confirmed as the α-phase, and its Néel temperature is determined. A clear SMR behavior is observed at the interface of Cr2O3/W. A nearly 0.1% SMR ratio is achieved under a magnetic field of 9 T, which is larger than the reported value in the SrMnO3/Pt structure. A systematic study on the variations of SMR as functions of the magnetic field and its angle is performed. Our results indicate that the antiferromagnetic magnetoelectric Cr2O3/W structure has a promising prospect application in future spintronic devices.