Scientists successfully visualize two distinct mechanisms of magnetism switching in antiferromagnets

A research team led by Ryo Shimano of the University of Tokyo has successfully visualized two distinct mechanisms through which up and down spins, inherent properties of electrons, switch in an antiferromagnet, a material in which spin alignments cancel each other out. One of the visualized mechanisms provides a working principle for developing ultrafast, non-volatile magnetic memory and logic devices, which could be much faster than today’s technologies. The findings are published in the journal Nature Materials.

See below for more information.

• Nakatsuji Group：https://nakatsuji-lab.phys.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/?lang=en
• Shimano Group：https://thz.phys.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/index_en.html
• UTokyo FOCUS：https://www.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp/en/press/10998/
• Aritcle URL：https://www.nature.com/articles/s41563-025-02402-8