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arXiv · 2511.18143

Interface-engineered voltage-driven magnetic tunnel junctions with ultra-low-energy magnetization switching

Yu Zhang·Meng Xu·Bowei Zhou·Carter Eckel·Supriya Ghosh·Hwanhui Yun·Ali Habiboglu·Deyuan Lyu·Daniel B Gopman·Jian-Ping Wang·K. Andre Mkhoyan·Weigang Wang
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Abstract

Electric-field control of spin states offers a promising route to ultra-low-power, ultra-fast magnetization switching in spintronic devices such as magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). Recent progress in modulating spin-orbit interactions at the interfaces between 3d transition-metal ferromagnets and dielectric layers has underscored the role of atomic-scale heavy-metal doping in optimizing device performance. Here, we experimentally demonstrate highly energy-efficient, voltage-driven magnetization switching in MTJs exhibiting large tunnel magnetoresistance (TMR), enabled by a remote doping technique that precisely controls the iridium (Ir) concentration near the MgO-CoFeB interface in the free layer. Our devices achieve a switching energy of only 3.5 fJ per bit for nanoscale MTJs operating in the sub-nanosecond regime, while maintaining a TMR ratio up to 160 percent after 400 C post-annealing. These findings establish a viable pathway toward scalable, ultra-low-power nonvolatile memory, positioning voltage-driven MTJs as strong contenders for next-generation magnetoresistive random-access memory (MRAM) and other emerging spintronic applications.

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Yu Zhang, Meng Xu, Bowei Zhou, Carter Eckel, Supriya Ghosh, Hwanhui Yun, Ali Habiboglu, Deyuan Lyu, Daniel B Gopman, Jian-Ping Wang, K. Andre Mkhoyan, Weigang Wang. 2025-11-22. Interface-engineered voltage-driven magnetic tunnel junctions with ultra-low-energy magnetization switching. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.aef6328

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