  Ultrafast electrical switching by current-induced staggered spin-orbit
fields, with minimal risk of overshoot, is shown in layered easy-plane
antiferromagnets with basal-plane biaxial anisotropy. The reliable switching is
due to the field-like torque, relaxing stringent requirements with respect to
precision in the time-duration of the excitation pulse. We investigate the
switching characteristics as a function of the spin-orbit field strength, pulse
duration, pulse rise and fall time and damping by atomistic spin dynamics
simulations and an effective equation of motion for the antiferromagnetic
order-parameter. The condition, determining the critical spin-orbit field
strength for switching is determined and we go on to show that robust
picosecond writing is possible at feasible current magnitudes.
