Anomalous Antiferromagnetism in Metallic RuO_{2} Determined by Resonant X-ray Scattering.

ABSTRACT

We studied the magnetic ordering of thin films and bulk crystals of rutile RuO_{2} using resonant x-ray scattering across the Ru L_{2} absorption edge. Combining polarization analysis and azimuthal angle dependence of the magnetic Bragg signal, we have established the presence and characteristic of collinear antiferromagnetism in RuO_{2} with T_{N}>300 K. In addition to revealing a spin-ordered ground state in the simplest ruthenium oxide compound, the persistence of magnetic order even in nanometer-thick films lays the ground for potential applications of RuO_{2} in antiferromagnetic spintronics.