Magnon decay theory of Gilbert damping in metallic antiferromagnets

Abstract

Gilbert damping is a key property governing magnetization dynamics in ordered magnets. We present a theoretical study of intrinsic Gilbert damping induced by magnon decay in antiferromagnetic metals through $s\ensuremath{-}d$ exchange interaction. Our theory delineates the qualitative features of damping in metallic antiferromagnets owing to their bipartite nature. It provides analytic expressions for the damping parameters yielding values consistent with recent first-principles calculations. Magnon-induced intraband electron scattering is found to predominantly cause magnetization damping, whereas the N\'eel field is found to be damped via disorder. Depending on the conduction electron band structure, we predict that magnon-induced interband electron scattering around band crossings may be exploited to engineer a strong N\'eel field damping.