  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.
