Picosecond switching of the staggered antiferromagnetic order is shown to berealizable through spin-transfer torques from a short current pulse. Thecoupled dynamics of sublattice magnetization is mapped onto a classicalpendulum subject to gravity and a driving pulse, where switching occurs if thependulum acquires sufficient kinetic energy during the pulse to overcome themaximum of the effective gravity potential. The optimal switching scheme isexplored through the dependence of switch angle and magnetic loss on theduration and strength of the current pulse. The physics discussed here providesa general route towards multi-functional THz applications via the spin-transfertorque in antiferromagnetic materials.
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