Microscopic origin of quench switching

Determine the microscopic origin of quench switching in antiferromagnetic CuMnAs, which produces heat-induced resistance changes through a breakdown of the magnetic domain structure.

Background

Quench switching is described as a heat-driven phenomenon demonstrated in CuMnAs and, more recently, in Mn2As. It is associated with a breakdown of the magnetic domain structure and produces large, reproducible resistance changes with multilevel behavior, making it potentially relevant for neuromorphic computing. Despite these observations and its apparent occurrence in structurally related compounds with different magnetic structures, the microscopic mechanism responsible for the effect has not been established.

References

The heat can be delivered either by electrical current or by optical pulses, and the switching is associated with a breakdown of the domain structure, although its microscopic origin remains poorly understood.

— Ab initio study of magnetic Cu$_2$Sb compounds related to antiferromagnetic CuMnAs  (2609.25955 - Pařízek et al., 22 Sep 2026) in Introduction, paragraph discussing quench switching