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Vertical-current-induced domain-wall motion in MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions with low current densities

Nature Physics volume 7, pages 626–630 (2011)Cite this article

Abstract

Shifting electrically a magnetic domain wall (DW) by the spin transfer mechanism1,2,3,4 is one of the ways foreseen for the switching of future spintronic memories or registers5,6. But the classical geometries where the current is injected in the plane of the magnetic layers suffer from poor efficiencies of the intrinsic torques7,8 acting on the DWs. A way to circumvent this problem is to use vertical-current injection9,10,11. For that case, theoretical calculations12 attribute the microscopic origin of DW displacements to the out-of-plane (‘field-like’) spin-transfer torque13,14. Here we report experiments in which we controllably displace a DW in the planar electrode of a magnetic tunnel junction by vertical-current injection. Our measurements confirm the major role of the out-of-plane spin torque for DW motion, and allow quantifying this term precisely. The involved current densities are about 100 times smaller than the one commonly observed with in-plane currents15. Step-by-step resistance switching of the magnetic tunnel junction should provide a new approach to spintronic memristive devices16,17,18.

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Figure 1: Magnetic tunnel junction design for DW motion by vertical current injection.
Figure 2: Vertical-current-induced DW depinning.
Figure 3: Spin torque measurements: DW depinning versus spin diode.
Figure 4: Plot of the equivalent field versus d.c. voltage.

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Acknowledgements

Financial support by the CNRS, RFBR grant (Grant No. 09-02-01423), JSPS Postdoctoral Fellowships for Research Abroad and the European Research Council (Starting Independent Researcher Grant No. ERC 2010 Stg 259068) is acknowledged.

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Author notes

  1. A. V. Khvalkovskiy

    Present address: Present address: Grandis, Inc., 1123 Cadillac Court, Milpitas, California 95035, USA,

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unité Mixte de Physique CNRS/Thales and Université Paris Sud 11, 1 ave A. Fresnel, 91767 Palaiseau, France

    A. Chanthbouala, R. Matsumoto, J. Grollier, V. Cros, A. Anane, A. Fert & A. V. Khvalkovskiy

  2. A.M. Prokhorov General Physics Institute of RAS, 119991 Moscow, Vavilova str. 38, Russia

    A. V. Khvalkovskiy & K. A. Zvezdin

  3. Istituto P.M. s.r.l., via Cernaia 24, 10122 Torino, Italy

    K. A. Zvezdin

  4. Process Development Center, Canon ANELVA Corporation, Kurigi 2-5-1, Asao, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 215-8550, Japan

    K. Nishimura, Y. Nagamine, H. Maehara & K. Tsunekawa

  5. National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568, Japan

    A. Fukushima & S. Yuasa

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  1. A. Chanthbouala
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Contributions

J.G., A.C., V.C. and S.Y. conceived the experiments. A.C. and R.M. carried out the measurements and analysed the data with the help of J.G. and V.C.; A.C. performed the numerical simulations with help from J.G., A.V.K. and K.A.Z.; K.N., Y.N., H.M, K.T. deposited the magnetic stack. A. Fukushima fabricated the samples. J.G. wrote the paper with discussions and comments from A.C., R.M., V.C., A.A., S.Y. and A. Fert.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to J. Grollier.

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The authors declare no competing financial interests.

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Chanthbouala, A., Matsumoto, R., Grollier, J. et al. Vertical-current-induced domain-wall motion in MgO-based magnetic tunnel junctions with low current densities. Nature Phys 7, 626–630 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nphys1968

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