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This article examines recent advances in the field of antiferromagnetic spintronics from the perspective of potential device realization and applications. We discuss advances in the electrical control of antiferromagnetic order by current-induced spin–orbit torques, particularly in antiferromagnetic thin films interfaced with heavy metals. We also review possible scenarios for using voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy as a more efficient mechanism to control antiferromagnetic order in thin films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. Next, we discuss the problem of electrical detection (i.e., readout) of antiferromagnetic order and highlight recent experimental advances in realizing anomalous Hall and tunneling magnetoresistance effects in thin films and tunnel junctions, respectively, which are based on noncollinear antiferromagnets. Understanding the domain structure and dynamics of antiferromagnetic materials is essential for engineering their properties for applications. For this reason, we then provide an overview of imaging techniques as well as micromagnetic simulation approaches for antiferromagnets. Finally, we present a perspective on potential applications of antiferromagnets for magnetic memory devices, terahertz sources, and detectors. 

Abstract Modern scanning microscopes can image materials with up to sub-atomic spatial and sub-picosecond time resolutions, but these capabilities come with large volumes of data, which can be difficult to store and analyze. We report the Fast Autonomous Scanning Toolkit (FAST) that addresses this challenge by combining a neural network, route optimization, and efficient hardware controls to enable a self-driving experiment that actively identifies and measures a sparse but representative data subset in lieu of the full dataset. FAST requires no prior information about the sample, is computationally efficient, and uses generic hardware controls with minimal experiment-specific wrapping. We test FAST in simulations and a dark-field X-ray microscopy experiment of a WSe₂film. Our studies show that a FAST scan of <25% is sufficient to accurately image and analyze the sample. FAST is easy to adapt for any scanning microscope; its broad adoption will empower general multi-level studies of materials evolution with respect to time, temperature, or other parameters. 

Abstract Antiferromagnetic (AFM) materials are a pathway to spintronic memory and computing devices with unprecedented speed, energy efficiency, and bit density. Realizing this potential requires AFM devices with simultaneous electrical writing and reading of information, which are also compatible with established silicon‐based manufacturing. Recent experiments have shown tunneling magnetoresistance (TMR) readout in epitaxial AFM tunnel junctions. However, these TMR structures are not grown using a silicon‐compatible deposition process, and controlling their AFM order required external magnetic fields. Here are shown three‐terminal AFM tunnel junctions based on the noncollinear antiferromagnet PtMn₃, sputter‐deposited on silicon. The devices simultaneously exhibit electrical switching using electric currents, and electrical readout by a large room‐temperature TMR effect. First‐principles calculations explain the TMR in terms of the momentum‐resolved spin‐dependent tunneling conduction in tunnel junctions with noncollinear AFM electrodes. 

Abstract Spintronics, an evolving interdisciplinary field at the intersection of magnetism and electronics, explores innovative applications of electron charge and spin properties for advanced electronic devices. The topological Hall effect (THE), a key component in spintronics, has gained significance due to emerging theories surrounding noncoplanar chiral spin textures. This study focuses on Mn_2‐xZn_xSb, a material crystalizing in centrosymmetric space group with rich magnetic phases tunable by Zn contents. Through comprehensive magnetic and transport characterizations, we found that the high‐Zn (x > 0.6) samples display THE which is enhanced with decreasing temperature, while THE in the low‐Zn (x < 0.6) samples show an opposite trend. The coexistence of those distinct temperature dependencies for THE suggests very different magnetic interactions/structures for different compositions and underscores the strong coupling between magnetism and transport in Mn_2‐xZn_xSb. The findings contribute to understanding topological magnetism in centrosymmetric tetragonal lattices, establishing Mn_2‐xZn_xSb as a unique platform for exploring tunable transport effects and opening avenues for further exploration in the realm of spintronics.