2016/12/31 by Graham E. Rowlands, G. E. Rowlands, Sriharsha V. Aradhya +11
Materials Science · Physics and Astronomy · #Anisotropy energy #Chemical and Physical Properties of Materials #Demagnetizing field #Magnetic anisotropy #Magnetic field #Magnetic properties of thin films #Magnetization #Magnetization dynamics #Micromagnetics #Nanoscopic scale #Nanosecond #Quantum and electron transport phenomena #Spin (aerodynamics) #cond-mat.mes-hall
paper · pdf · doi:10.1063/1.4978661
5 pages, 4 figures, 1 table
arxiv created 2017/02/01 · openalex created_date 2017/02/03 · openalex publication_date 2017/03/20 · arxiv updated 2017/04/05 · openalex updated_date 2026/08/06
We present a study of the magnetic dynamics associated with nanosecond scale magnetic switching driven by the spin Hall effect in 3-terminal nanoscale magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) with in-plane magnetization. Utilizing fast pulse measurements in a variety of material stacks and detailed micromagnetic simulations, we demonstrate that this unexpectedly fast and reliable magnetic reversal is facilitated by the self-generated Oersted field, and that the short-pulse energy efficiency can be substantially enhanced by spatial non-uniformity in the initial magnetization of the magnetic free layer. The sign of the Oersted field is essential for this enhancement—in simulations in which we artificially impose a field-like torque with a sign opposite to the effect of the Oersted field, the result is a much slower and stochastic switching process that is reminiscent of the so-called incubation delay in conventional 2-terminal spin-torque-switched MTJs.