Spin Seebeck effect near the antiferromagnetic spin-flop transition

Abstract

We develop a low-temperature, long-wavelength theory for the interfacial spin Seebeck effect (SSE) in easy-axis antiferromagnets. The field-induced spin-flop (SF) transition of N\'eel order is associated with a qualitative change in SSE behavior: Below SF, there are two spin carriers with opposite magnetic moments, with the carriers polarized along the field forming a majority magnon band. Above SF, the low-energy, ferromagneticlike mode has magnetic moment opposite the field. This results in a sign change of the SSE across SF, which agrees with recent measurements on ${\mathrm{Cr}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}/\mathrm{Pt}$ and ${\mathrm{Cr}}_{2}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}/\mathrm{Ta}$ devices [Li et al., Nature (London) 578, 70 (2020)]. In our theory, SSE is due to a N\'eel spin current below SF and a magnetic spin current above SF. Using the ratio of the associated N\'eel to magnetic spin-mixing conductances as a single constant fitting parameter, we reproduce the field dependence of the experimental data and partially the temperature dependence of the relative SSE jump across SF.