Sub-terahertz coherent spin pumping from an insulating antiferromagnet (del Barco, Lederman and Cheng with van Tol, and Brataas)

Spin-transfer torque and spin Hall effects combined with their reciprocal phenomena, spin pumping and inverse spin Hall effects (ISHEs), enable the reading and control of magnetic moments in spintronics. The MURI team has reported for the first time sub-terahertz spin pumping at the interface of the uniaxial insulating antiferromagnet manganese difluoride and platinum. The measured ISHE voltage arising from spin-charge conversion in the platinum layer depends on the chirality of the dynamical modes of the antiferromagnet, which is selectively excited and modulated by the handedness of the circularly polarized sub-terahertz irradiation. Our results open the door to the controlled generation of coherent, pure spin currents at terahertz frequencies. You can access the paper here.