Abstract
In antiferromagnetic MnF2 the magnetic moments of manganese are aligned along the tetragonal axis of the rutile structure. In a magnetic field HSF along that axis (9.27 T at 4.2 K) the antiferromagnetic moments flop in the basal plane. Polarized neutron diffraction measurements showed that at about HSF the entire crystal becomes aligned in a single antiferromagnetic domain, which persists even after the field is suppressed. The effect is due to a minute misalignment (a fraction of degree) of the applied field with the tetragonal axis of the crystal. The ensuing breakdown of symmetry at the spin-flop transition provides a way to control domains in this type of antiferromagnet.
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