Electrical Detection of the Spin Reorientation Transition in Antiferromagnetic TmFeO_3 Thin Films by Spin Hall Magnetoresistance

TmFeO3 (TFO) is a canted antiferromagnet that undergoes a spin reorientation transition (SRT) with temperature between 82 and 94 K in single crystals. In this temperature region, the Neel vector continuously rotates from the crystallographic c axis (below 82 K) to the a axis (above 94 K). The SRT allows for a temperature control of distinct antiferromagnetic states without the need for a magnetic field, making it apt for applications working at terahertz frequencies. For device applications, thin films of TFO are required as well as an electrical technique for read-out of the magnetic state. Here, we demonstrate that orthorhombic TFO thin films can be grown by pulsed laser deposition and the detection of the SRT in TFO thin films can be accessed by making use of the all-electrical spin Hall magnetoresistance, in good agreement for the temperature range where the SRT occurs in bulk crystals. Our results demonstrate that one can electrically detect the SRT in insulators.