Perspectives on Antiferromagnetic Spintronics

TL;DR

This paper reviews the fundamental physics, current challenges, and future prospects of antiferromagnetic spintronics, highlighting its potential to overcome limitations of ferromagnetic devices with faster, smaller, and more energy-efficient electronics.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of antiferromagnetic spintronics, including fundamental physics, interactions with stimuli, and future research directions, which is a novel synthesis in this emerging field.

Findings

Antiferromagnets have zero net magnetization and high-frequency dynamics.

They are resistant to external magnetic fields and suitable for robust devices.

Potential for faster, smaller, and energy-efficient spintronic applications.

Abstract

Although the development of spintronic devices has advanced significantly over the past decade with the use of ferromagnetic materials, the extensive implementation of such devices has been limited by the notable drawbacks of these materials. Antiferromagnets claim to resolve many of these shortcomings leading to faster, smaller, more energy-efficient, and more robust electronics. Antiferromagnets exhibit many desirable properties including zero net magnetization, imperviousness to external magnetic fields, intrinsic high-frequency dynamics with a characteristic precession frequency on the order of terahertz (THz), and the ability to serve as passive exchange-bias materials in multiple magnetoresistance (MR)- based devices. In this Perspective article, we will discuss the fundamental physics of magnetic structures in antiferromagnets and their interactions with external stimuli such as spin current, voltage, and magnons. A discussion on the challenges lying ahead is also provided along with an outlook of future research directions of these systems.