Lateral exchange bias for Néel-vector control in atomically thin antiferromagnets

Antiferromagnetic (AF) van der Waals (vdW) magnets combine the advantages of vdW magnets with the functionality of AF spintronics, offering unique opportunities for ultrafast and robust spintronic devices. However, the lack of approaches to locally and deterministically manipulate their order parameter, the Néel-vector, remains a key limitation. Here, we achieve Néel vector control in bilayers of the vdW AF CrSBr, via an effect we term lateral exchange bias (LEB). We exploit the single-crystalline registry formed by terraced CrSBr samples, where the bilayer Néel vector is controlled by LEB from neighboring, odd-layered flakes, whose nonzero magnetization we manipulate using magnetic fields. Using this control, we achieve non-volatile manipulation of magnetic domains and domain walls in AF CrSBr bilayers, establishing a powerful toolkit for controlling atomically thin AFs at the nanoscale. Our results challenge conventional views on exchange bias and provide a previously unexplored mechanism for achieving atomic-scale control of AF order. Our findings pave the way for the development of advanced spintronic architectures and quantum technologies based on vdW magnets. Exchange bias, where an adjacent antiferromagnet leads to an offset magnetization loop in a ferromagnet is a critical effect in magnetic memory devices. Here, Pellet-Mary et al introduce a “lateral exchange bias”, allowing control of the Neel vector in bilayer samples of CrSBr via laterally adjacent odd layered segments.