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arXiv · 2305.03961

Field-Free Spin-Orbit Torque driven Switching of Perpendicular Magnetic Tunnel Junction through Bending Current

Vaishnavi Kateel·Viola Krizakova·Siddharth Rao·Kaiming Cai·Mohit Gupta·Maxwel Gama Monteiro·Farrukh Yasin·Bart Sorée·Johan De Boeck·Sebastien Couet·Pietro Gambardella·Gouri Sankar Kar·Kevin Garello
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Abstract

Current-induced spin-orbit torques (SOTs) enable fast and efficient manipulation of the magnetic state of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs), making it attractive for memory, in-memory computing, and logic applications. However, the requirement of the external magnetic field to achieve deterministic switching in perpendicular magnetized SOT-MTJs limits its implementation for practical applications. Here, we introduce a field-free switching (FFS) solution for the SOT-MTJ device by shaping the SOT channel to create a "bend" in the SOT current. The resulting bend in the charge current creates a spatially non-uniform spin current, which translates into inhomogeneous SOT on an adjacent magnetic free layer enabling deterministic switching. We demonstrate FFS experimentally on scaled SOT-MTJs at nanosecond time scales. This proposed scheme is scalable, material-agnostic, and readily compatible with wafer-scale manufacturing, thus creating a pathway for developing purely current-driven SOT systems.

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Vaishnavi Kateel, Viola Krizakova, Siddharth Rao, Kaiming Cai, Mohit Gupta, Maxwel Gama Monteiro, Farrukh Yasin, Bart Sorée, Johan De Boeck, Sebastien Couet, Pietro Gambardella, Gouri Sankar Kar, Kevin Garello. 2023-05-06. Field-Free Spin-Orbit Torque driven Switching of Perpendicular Magnetic Tunnel Junction through Bending Current. https://doi.org/10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c00639

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