Field-free spin-orbit torque-induced switching of perpendicular magnetization in a ferrimagnetic layer with a vertical composition gradient

Zhenyi Zheng, Yue Zhang (), Victor Lopez-Dominguez, Luis Sánchez-Tejerina, Jiacheng Shi, Xueqiang Feng, Lei Chen, Zilu Wang, Zhizhong Zhang, Kun Zhang, Bin Hong, Yong Xu, Youguang Zhang, Mario Carpentieri, Albert Fert, Giovanni Finocchio (), Weisheng Zhao () and Pedram Khalili Amiri ()
Additional contact information
Zhenyi Zheng: Fert Beijing Research Institute, School of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data and Brain Computing, Beihang University
Yue Zhang: Fert Beijing Research Institute, School of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data and Brain Computing, Beihang University
Victor Lopez-Dominguez: Northwestern University
Luis Sánchez-Tejerina: Physical Sciences and Earth Sciences, University of Messina
Jiacheng Shi: Northwestern University
Xueqiang Feng: Fert Beijing Research Institute, School of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data and Brain Computing, Beihang University
Lei Chen: Fert Beijing Research Institute, School of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data and Brain Computing, Beihang University
Zilu Wang: Fert Beijing Research Institute, School of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data and Brain Computing, Beihang University
Zhizhong Zhang: Fert Beijing Research Institute, School of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data and Brain Computing, Beihang University
Kun Zhang: Fert Beijing Research Institute, School of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data and Brain Computing, Beihang University
Bin Hong: Fert Beijing Research Institute, School of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data and Brain Computing, Beihang University
Yong Xu: Fert Beijing Research Institute, School of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data and Brain Computing, Beihang University
Youguang Zhang: School of Electronics and Information Engineering, Beihang University
Mario Carpentieri: Dipartimento di Ingegneria Elettrica e dell’Informazione, Politecnico di Bari
Albert Fert: Fert Beijing Research Institute, School of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data and Brain Computing, Beihang University
Giovanni Finocchio: Physical Sciences and Earth Sciences, University of Messina
Weisheng Zhao: Fert Beijing Research Institute, School of Integrated Circuit Science and Engineering, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Big Data and Brain Computing, Beihang University
Pedram Khalili Amiri: Northwestern University

Nature Communications, 2021, vol. 12, issue 1, 1-9

Abstract: Abstract Current-induced spin-orbit torques (SOTs) are of interest for fast and energy-efficient manipulation of magnetic order in spintronic devices. To be deterministic, however, switching of perpendicularly magnetized materials by SOT requires a mechanism for in-plane symmetry breaking. Existing methods to do so involve the application of an in-plane bias magnetic field, or incorporation of in-plane structural asymmetry in the device, both of which can be difficult to implement in practical applications. Here, we report bias-field-free SOT switching in a single perpendicular CoTb layer with an engineered vertical composition gradient. The vertical structural inversion asymmetry induces strong intrinsic SOTs and a gradient-driven Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction (g-DMI), which breaks the in-plane symmetry during the switching process. Micromagnetic simulations are in agreement with experimental results, and elucidate the role of g-DMI in the deterministic switching processes. This bias-field-free switching scheme for perpendicular ferrimagnets with g-DMI provides a strategy for efficient and compact SOT device design.

Date: 2021
References: Add references at CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (5)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-24854-7 Abstract (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-021-24854-7

Ordering information: This journal article can be ordered from
https://www.nature.com/ncomms/

DOI: 10.1038/s41467-021-24854-7

Access Statistics for this article

Nature Communications is currently edited by Nathalie Le Bot, Enda Bergin and Fiona Gillespie

More articles in Nature Communications from Nature
Bibliographic data for series maintained by Sonal Shukla () and Springer Nature Abstracting and Indexing ().