Magnetisation Switching Dynamics Induced by Combination of Spin Transfer Torque and Spin Orbit Torque

Overview

Journal Sci Rep

Specialty Science

Date 2022 Mar 2

PMID 35233036

Authors

Andrea Meo

Jessada Chureemart

Roy W Chantrell

Phanwadee Chureemart

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

We present a theoretical investigation of the magnetisation reversal process in CoFeB-based magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs). We perform atomistic spin simulations of magnetisation dynamics induced by combination of spin orbit torque (SOT) and spin transfer torque (STT). Within the model the effect of SOT is introduced as a Slonczewski formalism, whereas the effect of STT is included via a spin accumulation model. We investigate a system of CoFeB/MgO/CoFeB coupled with a heavy metal layer where the charge current is injected into the plane of the heavy metal meanwhile the other charge current flows perpendicular into the MTJ structure. Our results reveal that SOT can assist the precessional switching induced by spin polarised current within a certain range of injected current densities yielding an efficient and fast reversal on the sub-nanosecond timescale. The combination of STT and SOT gives a promising pathway to improve high performance CoFeB-based devices with high speed and low power consumption.

Citing Articles

Temperature dependence of spin transport behavior in Heusler alloy CPP-GMR.

Saenphum N, Khamtawi R, Chureemart J, Chantrell R, Chureemart P Sci Rep. 2024; 14(1):23925.

PMID: 39397047 PMC: 11471841. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-74996-z.

Picosecond spin-orbit torque-induced coherent magnetization switching in a ferromagnet.

Polley D, Pattabi A, Rastogi A, Jhuria K, Diaz E, Singh H Sci Adv. 2023; 9(36):eadh5562.

PMID: 37672590 PMC: 10482325. DOI: 10.1126/sciadv.adh5562.

A Comprehensive Study of Temperature and Its Effects in SOT-MRAM Devices.

Hadamek T, Jorstad N, Orio R, Goes W, Selberherr S, Sverdlov V Micromachines (Basel). 2023; 14(8).

PMID: 37630117 PMC: 10456936. DOI: 10.3390/mi14081581.

Magneto-strain effects in 2D ferromagnetic van der Waal material CrGeTe[Formula: see text].

Vijay K, Vavilapalli D, Arya A, Srivastava S, Singh R, Sagdeo A Sci Rep. 2023; 13(1):8579.

PMID: 37237016 PMC: 10219987. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-35038-2.

Probing spin dynamics of ultra-thin van der Waals magnets via photon-magnon coupling.

Zollitsch C, Khan S, Nam V, Verzhbitskiy I, Sagkovits D, OSullivan J Nat Commun. 2023; 14(1):2619.

PMID: 37147370 PMC: 10163026. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-38322-x.

References

Cecot M, Karwacki L, Skowronski W, Kanak J, Wrona J, Zywczak A . Influence of intermixing at the Ta/CoFeB interface on spin Hall angle in Ta/CoFeB/MgO heterostructures. Sci Rep. 2017; 7(1):968. PMC: 5430535. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-00994-z. View

Evans R, Fan W, Chureemart P, Ostler T, Ellis M, Chantrell R . Atomistic spin model simulations of magnetic nanomaterials. J Phys Condens Matter. 2014; 26(10):103202. DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/26/10/103202. View

You L, Lee O, Bhowmik D, Labanowski D, Hong J, Bokor J . Switching of perpendicularly polarized nanomagnets with spin orbit torque without an external magnetic field by engineering a tilted anisotropy. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2015; 112(33):10310-5. PMC: 4547225. DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1507474112. View

Miron I, Gaudin G, Auffret S, Rodmacq B, Schuhl A, Pizzini S . Current-driven spin torque induced by the Rashba effect in a ferromagnetic metal layer. Nat Mater. 2010; 9(3):230-4. DOI: 10.1038/nmat2613. View

Maruyama T, Shiota Y, Nozaki T, Ohta K, Toda N, Mizuguchi M . Large voltage-induced magnetic anisotropy change in a few atomic layers of iron. Nat Nanotechnol. 2009; 4(3):158-61. DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2008.406. View

Ikeda S, Miura K, Yamamoto H, Mizunuma K, Gan H, Endo M . A perpendicular-anisotropy CoFeB-MgO magnetic tunnel junction. Nat Mater. 2010; 9(9):721-4. DOI: 10.1038/nmat2804. View

Liu Y, Zhou B, Zhu J . Field-free Magnetization Switching by Utilizing the Spin Hall Effect and Interlayer Exchange Coupling of Iridium. Sci Rep. 2019; 9(1):325. PMC: 6344501. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-018-37586-4. View

Kent A, Worledge D . A new spin on magnetic memories. Nat Nanotechnol. 2015; 10(3):187-91. DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2015.24. View

Weiler M, Althammer M, Schreier M, Lotze J, Pernpeintner M, Meyer S . Experimental test of the spin mixing interface conductivity concept. Phys Rev Lett. 2013; 111(17):176601. DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.111.176601. View

10.

Pathak S, Youm C, Hong J . Impact of Spin-Orbit Torque on Spin-Transfer Torque Switching in Magnetic Tunnel Junctions. Sci Rep. 2020; 10(1):2799. PMC: 7029010. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-020-59533-y. View

11.

Grimaldi E, Krizakova V, Sala G, Yasin F, Couet S, Kar G . Single-shot dynamics of spin-orbit torque and spin transfer torque switching in three-terminal magnetic tunnel junctions. Nat Nanotechnol. 2020; 15(2):111-117. DOI: 10.1038/s41565-019-0607-7. View

12.

Meo A, Chureemart P, Wang S, Chepulskyy R, Apalkov D, Chantrell R . Thermally nucleated magnetic reversal in CoFeB/MgO nanodots. Sci Rep. 2017; 7(1):16729. PMC: 5711886. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-017-16911-3. View

13.

Weisheit M, Fahler S, Marty A, Souche Y, Poinsignon C, Givord D . Electric field-induced modification of magnetism in thin-film ferromagnets. Science. 2007; 315(5810):349-51. DOI: 10.1126/science.1136629. View

14.

Liu L, Pai C, Li Y, Tseng H, Ralph D, Buhrman R . Spin-torque switching with the giant spin Hall effect of tantalum. Science. 2012; 336(6081):555-8. DOI: 10.1126/science.1218197. View

15.

Chureemart P, DAmico I, Chantrell R . Model of spin accumulation and spin torque in spatially varying magnetisation structures: limitations of the micromagnetic approach. J Phys Condens Matter. 2015; 27(14):146004. DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/27/14/146004. View

16.

Aradhya S, Rowlands G, Oh J, Ralph D, Buhrman R . Nanosecond-Timescale Low Energy Switching of In-Plane Magnetic Tunnel Junctions through Dynamic Oersted-Field-Assisted Spin Hall Effect. Nano Lett. 2016; 16(10):5987-5992. DOI: 10.1021/acs.nanolett.6b01443. View

17.

Safeer C, Jue E, Lopez A, Buda-Prejbeanu L, Auffret S, Pizzini S . Spin-orbit torque magnetization switching controlled by geometry. Nat Nanotechnol. 2015; 11(2):143-6. DOI: 10.1038/nnano.2015.252. View

18.

Liu L, Zhou C, Shu X, Li C, Zhao T, Lin W . Symmetry-dependent field-free switching of perpendicular magnetization. Nat Nanotechnol. 2021; 16(3):277-282. DOI: 10.1038/s41565-020-00826-8. View

19.

Watanabe K, Jinnai B, Fukami S, Sato H, Ohno H . Shape anisotropy revisited in single-digit nanometer magnetic tunnel junctions. Nat Commun. 2018; 9(1):663. PMC: 5813113. DOI: 10.1038/s41467-018-03003-7. View

20.

Bowden G, Stenning G, van der Laan G . Inter and intra macro-cell model for point dipole-dipole energy calculations. J Phys Condens Matter. 2016; 28(6):066001. DOI: 10.1088/0953-8984/28/6/066001. View