Angle dependent magnetoresistance in heterostructures with antiferromagnetic and non-magnetic metals

We report on the magnetoresistive effects in a metallic antiferromagnet (AFM)/nonmagnet (NM) PtMn/Pt heterostructure with varying thickness of PtMn (1 nm ≤ tPtMn ≤ 10 nm). Longitudinal magnetoresistive effects are measured for magnetic field rotations along three mutually perpendicular directions. The results show a transformation in the functional dependencies with the increase in tPtMn and are attributed to the spin Hall magnetoresistive effects arising from the interaction of spin currents generated by Pt with the antiferromagnetic PtMn. The present findings with appreciable magnetoresistive effects in an AFM/NM metallic heterostructure add yet another option of the material system for antiferromagnetic spintronics.