Long-Distance Coherent Propagation of High-Velocity Antiferromagnetic Spin Waves

We report on coherent propagation of antiferromagnetic (AFM) spin waves over a long distance (similar to 10 mu m) at room temperature in a canted AFM alpha-Fe2O3 owing to the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI). Unprecedented high group velocities (up to 22.5 km/s) are characterized by microwave transmission using all-electrical spin wave spectroscopy. We derive analytically AFM spin-wave dispersion in the presence of the DMI which accounts for our experimental results. The AFM spin waves excited by nanometric coplanar waveguides have large wave vectors in the exchange regime and follow a quasilinear dispersion relation. Fitting of experimental data with our theoretical model yields an AFM exchange stiffness length of 1.7 angstrom. Our results provide key insights on AFM spin dynamics and demonstrate high-speed functionality for AFM magnonics.