THz electrical writing speed in an antiferromagnetic memory

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates that antiferromagnetic memory devices can be electrically written at THz speeds at room temperature, surpassing the GHz limit of traditional ferromagnetic memories, enabling ultra-fast memory-logic technology.

Contribution

The study provides the first experimental evidence that antiferromagnetic memories can be electrically switched at THz speeds at room temperature.

Findings

Electrical switching speed scaled up to THz range.

Current-induced spin-torque effectively switches antiferromagnetic states.

Memory devices operate efficiently over a wide frequency range from Hz to THz.

Abstract

The speed of writing of state-of-the-art ferromagnetic memories is physically limited by an intrinsic GHz threshold. Recently, an alternative research direction has been initiated by realizing memory devices based on antiferromagnets in which spin directions periodically alternate from one atomic lattice site to the next. In our work we experimentally demonstrate at room temperature that the speed of reversible electrical writing in a memory device can be scaled up to THz using an antiferromagnet. Efficient current-induced spin-torque mechanism is responsible for the switching in our memory devices throughout the twelve orders of magnitude range of writing speeds from Hz to THz. Our work opens the path towards the development of memory-logic technology reaching the elusive THz band.