Spin Current Generation And Detection In Uniaxial Antiferromagnetic Insulators

Spin current represents a flow of spin angular momentum and does not require movement of charges. Magnetic insulators can therefore work as a source as well as a medium of spin currents, which has been established in ferrimagnetic insulators. Here, we report recent progress in the generation and electrical detection of spin currents in uniaxial antiferromagnetic insulators carried by antiferromagnetic magnons, both thermally and resonantly excited, respectively, via the spin Seebeck effect and antiferromagnetic spin pumping by subterahertz microwaves. These findings open up many exciting possibilities of potential antiferromagnetic applications.