Tetragonal CuMnAs is an antiferromagnetic material with favourable properties for applications in spintronics. Using a combination of neutron diffraction and x-ray magnetic linear dichroism, we determine the spin axis and magnetic structure in tetragonal CuMnAs, and reveal the presence of an interfacial uniaxial magnetic anisotropy. From the temperature-dependence of the neutron diffraction intensities, the Néel temperature is shown to be (480 ± 5) K. Ab initio calculations indicate a weak anisotropy in the (ab) plane for bulk crystals, with a large anisotropy energy barrier between in-plane and perpendicular-to-plane directions.

Diamond Light Source Chilton Didcot Oxfordshire OX11 0DE United Kingdom

Faculty of Mathematics and Physics Charles University Prague 121 16 Prague Czech Republic

Institut Laue Langevin 6 Rue Jules Horowitz 38042 Grenoble France

Institute of Physics ASCR v v i Cukrovarnicka 10 16253 Prague 6 Czech Republic

ISIS Rutherford Appleton Laboratory Harwell Science and Innovation Campus Science and Technology Facilities Council Oxon OX11 0QX United Kingdom

School of Physics and Astronomy University of Nottingham NG7 2RD United Kingdom

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