Pulse voltage-induced dynamic magnetization switching in magnetic tunneling junctions with high resistance-area product

We investigated pulse voltage-induced dynamic magnetization switchings in magnetic tunneling junctions with a high resistance-area product of 2 kΩ μm2. We found that bistable switching and the oscillatory behavior of switching probability as a function of voltage pulse duration are realized at a lower current density (−1.1 × 105 A/cm2) than in conventional spin-transfer-torque-induced magnetization switching. In addition, the switching probability at different voltage pulse strengths confirmed the existence of a voltage torque induced by a change in perpendicular magnetic anisotropy. This voltage-induced magnetization switching can be a useful technique in future spintronics devices with fast and highly reliable writing processes.

[1]  H. Ohno,et al.  Electrical Manipulation of Magnetization Reversal in a Ferromagnetic Semiconductor , 2003, Science.

[2]  S. Fukami,et al.  Electrical control of the ferromagnetic phase transition in cobalt at room temperature. , 2011, Nature materials.

[3]  Masashi Shiraishi,et al.  Voltage-Assisted Magnetization Switching in Ultrathin Fe80Co20 Alloy Layers , 2009 .

[4]  T. Oda,et al.  Finite electric field effects in the large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy surface Pt/Fe/Pt(001): a first-principles study. , 2009, Physical review letters.

[5]  H. Ohno,et al.  Electric-field control of ferromagnetism , 2000, Nature.

[6]  N. Mathur,et al.  Multiferroic and magnetoelectric materials , 2006, Nature.

[7]  Yoichi Shiota,et al.  Induction of coherent magnetization switching in a few atomic layers of FeCo using voltage pulses. , 2011, Nature materials.

[8]  A. Freeman,et al.  Giant modification of the magnetocrystalline anisotropy in transition-metal monolayers by an external electric field. , 2009, Physical review letters.

[9]  Hideo Ohno,et al.  Electric-field effects on thickness dependent magnetic anisotropy of sputtered MgO/Co40Fe40B20/Ta structures , 2010 .

[10]  H. Ohno,et al.  Magnetization vector manipulation by electric fields , 2008, Nature.

[11]  Yoichi Shiota,et al.  Large change in perpendicular magnetic anisotropy induced by an electric field in FePd ultrathin films , 2011 .

[12]  Shan X. Wang,et al.  Electric-field control of local ferromagnetism using a magnetoelectric multiferroic. , 2008, Nature materials.

[13]  Wei-gang Wang,et al.  Electric-field-assisted switching in magnetic tunnel junctions. , 2012, Nature materials.

[14]  T. Seki,et al.  Coercivity change in an FePt thin layer in a Hall device by voltage application , 2011 .

[15]  Berger.  Emission of spin waves by a magnetic multilayer traversed by a current. , 1996, Physical review. B, Condensed matter.

[16]  Junhao Chu,et al.  Surface magnetoelectric effect in ferromagnetic metal films. , 2008, Physical review letters.

[17]  J. Slonczewski.  Current-driven excitation of magnetic multilayers , 1996 .

[18]  Hitoshi Kubota,et al.  Electric-field-induced ferromagnetic resonance excitation in an ultrathin ferromagnetic metal layer , 2012, Nature Physics.

[19]  A. Marty,et al.  Electric Field-Induced Modification of Magnetism in Thin-Film Ferromagnets , 2007, Science.

[20]  A. Tulapurkar,et al.  Large voltage-induced magnetic anisotropy change in a few atomic layers of iron. , 2009, Nature nanotechnology.