Harnessing orbital Hall effect in spin-orbit torque MRAM

Rahul Gupta (), Chloé Bouard, Fabian Kammerbauer, J. Omar Ledesma-Martin, Arnab Bose, Iryna Kononenko, Sylvain Martin, Perrine Usé, Gerhard Jakob, Marc Drouard and Mathias Kläui ()
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Rahul Gupta: Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Chloé Bouard: Antaios
Fabian Kammerbauer: Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
J. Omar Ledesma-Martin: Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Arnab Bose: Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Iryna Kononenko: Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Sylvain Martin: Antaios
Perrine Usé: Antaios
Gerhard Jakob: Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Marc Drouard: Antaios
Mathias Kläui: Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

Nature Communications, 2025, vol. 16, issue 1, 1-7

Abstract: Abstract Spin-Orbit Torque (SOT) Magnetic Random-Access Memory (MRAM) devices offer improved power efficiency, nonvolatility, and performance compared to static RAM, making them ideal, for instance, for cache memory applications. Efficient magnetization switching, long data retention, and high-density integration in SOT MRAM require ferromagnets (FM) with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (PMA) combined with large torques enhanced by Orbital Hall Effect (OHE). We have engineered a PMA [Co/Ni]3 FM on selected OHE layers (Ru, Nb, Cr) and investigated the potential of theoretically predicted larger orbital Hall conductivity (OHC) to quantify the torque and switching current in OHE/[Co/Ni]3 stacks. Our results demonstrate a ~30% enhancement in damping-like torque efficiency with a positive sign for the Ru OHE layer compared to a pure Pt layer, accompanied by a ~20% reduction in switching current for Ru compared to pure Pt across more than 250 devices, leading to more than a 60% reduction in switching power. These findings validate the application of Ru in devices relevant to industrial contexts, supporting theoretical predictions regarding its superior OHC. This investigation highlights the potential of enhanced orbital torques to improve the performance of orbital-assisted SOT-MRAM, paving the way for next-generation memory technology.

Date: 2025
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DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-55437-x

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