Physical Sciences - Article 2026-04-21 under-review v1

Larkin length as a criterion for antiferromagnetic writing

N
Nikolai Khokhlov Radboud University
A
Aleksandr Buzdakov Italian Institute of Technology
T
Timur Gareev Radboud University
S
Sheng Li Wuhan University of Technology
X
Xuewen Wang Wuhan University of Technology
S
Sergey Artyukhin Quantum Materials Theory
A
Alexey Kimel Institute for Molecules and Materials, Radboud University

Abstract

Antiferromagnets are emerging as a transformative platform for next-generation spintronics and information storage technologies, promising improved speed and energy efficiency. However, unlike in ferromagnets---where magnetic domain stability is governed by long-range magnetostatic fields---the physical principles defining the minimum writable domain size in antiferromagnets remain poorly understood. Here we identify the Larkin length---the scale at which disorder-induced pinning of domain walls and elastic restoring forces balance---as a key parameter governing the ultimate resolution for stable antiferromagnetic domain writing. We observe that the Larkin length decreases sharply near the Neel transition, enabling deterministic electrical writing of micrometer-scale domains in the archetypal antiferromagnet Cr2O3. Exploiting this mechanism, we demonstrate Heat-Assisted Antiferromagnetic Recording using picosecond laser heating, as a direct analog of Heat-Assisted Magnetic Recording on ferromagnetic media. These findings establish a framework for understanding domain stability in antiferromagnets and provide practical pathways for deterministic electrical and optical domain writing towards extreme-density ferroic devices.

Citation Information

@article{nikolaikhokhlov2026,
  title={Larkin length as a criterion for antiferromagnetic writing},
  author={Nikolai Khokhlov and Aleksandr Buzdakov and Timur Gareev and Sheng Li and Xuewen Wang and Sergey Artyukhin and Alexey Kimel},
  journal={Nature Portfolio},
  year={2026},
  doi={https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-9405081/v1}
}
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