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

Autor: Luis Sanchez-Tejerina, Giovanni Finocchio, Youguang Zhang, Mario Carpentieri, Weisheng Zhao, Yue Zhang, Pedram Khalili Amiri, Xueqiang Feng, Zhizhong Zhang, Albert Fert, Kun Zhang, Zilu Wang, Lei Chen, Yong Xu, Zhenyi Zheng, Jiacheng Shi, Bin Hong, Victor Lopez-Dominguez
Jazyk: angličtina
Rok vydání: 2021
Předmět:
Field (physics)
media_common.quotation_subject
Science
General Physics and Astronomy
FOS: Physical sciences
02 engineering and technology
01 natural sciences
Asymmetry
Article
General Biochemistry
Genetics and Molecular Biology
Magnetization
Condensed Matter::Materials Science
Electronic and spintronic devices
Ferrimagnetism
0103 physical sciences
Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics (cond-mat.mes-hall)
Symmetry breaking
010306 general physics
media_common
Physics
asymmetry
equipment
experimental study
induced response
magnetization
symmetry
torque
Multidisciplinary
Condensed matter physics
Spintronics
Condensed Matter - Mesoscale and Nanoscale Physics
General Chemistry
021001 nanoscience & nanotechnology
Symmetry (physics)
Magnetic field
Condensed Matter::Strongly Correlated Electrons
0210 nano-technology
Zdroj: Nature Communications, Vol 12, Iss 1, Pp 1-9 (2021)
Nature Communications
ISSN: 2041-1723
Popis: 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.
Switching of ferrimagnets by current-induced spin-orbit torque is promising for spintronics, due to their high-speed dynamics and small macroscopic magnetization. Switching of perpendicularly magnetized materials, however, requires a bias field for symmetry breaking. Here, Zheng et al demonstrate field-free current-induced switching of perpendicular ferrimagnets, using a compositional gradient-driven Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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