Adjustable Current-Induced Magnetization Switching Utilizing Interlayer Exchange Coupling

Sheng, Yu; Edmonds, Kevin; Ma, Xingqiao; Zheng, Houzhi; Wang, Kaiyou

Abstract

© 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim Electrical current–induced deterministic magnetization switching in a magnetic multilayer structure without any external magnetic field is realized by utilizing interlayer exchange coupling. Two ferromagnetic Co layers, with in-plane and out-of-plane anisotropy, respectively, are separated by a spacer Ta layer, which plays a dual role in inducing antiferromagnetic interlayer coupling, and contributing to the current-induced effective magnetic field through the spin Hall effect. The current-induced magnetization switching behavior can be tuned by premagnetizing the in-plane Co layer. The antiferromagnetic exchange coupling field increases with decreasing thickness of the Ta layer, reaching 630 ± 5 Oe for a Ta thickness of 1.5 nm. A model is developed to separate the Joule heating and spin–orbit torques caused by the electrical current. The magnitude of the current-induced perpendicular effective magnetic field from spin–orbit torque is 9.2 Oe/(107 A cm−2). The large spin Hall angle of Ta, opposite in sign to that of Pt, results in a low critical current density of 9 × 106 A cm−2. This approach is promising for the electrical switching of magnetic memory elements without any external magnetic field.

Citation

Sheng, Y., Edmonds, K., Ma, X., Zheng, H., & Wang, K. (2018). Adjustable Current-Induced Magnetization Switching Utilizing Interlayer Exchange Coupling. Advanced Electronic Materials, 4(9), Article 1800224. https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.201800224

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: May 10, 2018
• Online Publication Date: Jun 28, 2018
• Publication Date: Sep 30, 2018
• Deposit Date: Aug 23, 2018
• Publicly Available Date: Jun 29, 2019
• Journal: Advanced Electronic Materials
• Electronic ISSN: 2199-160X
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 4
• Issue: 9
• Article Number: 1800224
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/aelm.201800224
• Keywords: field-free switching, interlayer exchange coupling, spin-orbit torque, spintronic
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/1046424
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/aelm.201800224
• Additional Information: This is the peer reviewed version of the article, which has been published in final form at https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1002/aelm.201800224. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.
• Contract Date: Aug 23, 2018