17 Sep 2015 | T. Jungwirth,1,2 X. Marti,1 P. Wadley,2 and J. Wunderlich1, 3
Antiferromagnetic spintronics is a field that aims to make antiferromagnets useful and spintronics more interesting by efficiently manipulating and detecting the magnetic state of antiferromagnets. Antiferromagnets have alternating magnetic moments, resulting in zero net magnetic moment and making them invisible. However, their high intrinsic frequencies and insensitivity to external magnetic fields make them promising for spintronic applications. Recent studies have explored antiferromagnetic spintronics from perspectives of spin-transport, magnetization dynamics, and materials research. The field includes electrical reading and writing of information, robust storage, and spin current generation, detection, and transmission. Antiferromagnetic materials, ranging from insulators to superconductors, have been studied for their unique properties. Synthetic antiferromagnets, which consist of ferromagnetic layers coupled through a metallic spacer, have been important in spintronic devices. Antiferromagnetic spintronics has potential applications in magnetic cloaking, memory devices, and spin interconnects. Despite challenges in practical implementation, antiferromagnetic spintronics offers advantages such as high-frequency dynamics, robustness against magnetic fields, and potential for integration with traditional microelectronics. Future research aims to overcome challenges in controlling antiferromagnetic moments and improving the scalability and performance of spintronic devices.Antiferromagnetic spintronics is a field that aims to make antiferromagnets useful and spintronics more interesting by efficiently manipulating and detecting the magnetic state of antiferromagnets. Antiferromagnets have alternating magnetic moments, resulting in zero net magnetic moment and making them invisible. However, their high intrinsic frequencies and insensitivity to external magnetic fields make them promising for spintronic applications. Recent studies have explored antiferromagnetic spintronics from perspectives of spin-transport, magnetization dynamics, and materials research. The field includes electrical reading and writing of information, robust storage, and spin current generation, detection, and transmission. Antiferromagnetic materials, ranging from insulators to superconductors, have been studied for their unique properties. Synthetic antiferromagnets, which consist of ferromagnetic layers coupled through a metallic spacer, have been important in spintronic devices. Antiferromagnetic spintronics has potential applications in magnetic cloaking, memory devices, and spin interconnects. Despite challenges in practical implementation, antiferromagnetic spintronics offers advantages such as high-frequency dynamics, robustness against magnetic fields, and potential for integration with traditional microelectronics. Future research aims to overcome challenges in controlling antiferromagnetic moments and improving the scalability and performance of spintronic devices.