Time-resolved observation of fast domain-walls driven by vertical spin currents in short tracks

Journal Article · Mon Dec 09 00:00:00 EST 2013 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4848795· OSTI ID:22253796

Sampaio, Joao; Lequeux, Steven; Chanthbouala, Andre; Cros, Vincent; Grollier, Julie ^[1]; Metaxas, Peter J. ^[1]; Matsumoto, Rie; Yakushiji, Kay; Kubota, Hitoshi; Fukushima, Akio; Yuasa, Shinji ^[2]; Nishimura, Kazumasa; Nagamine, Yoshinori; Maehara, Hiroki; Tsunekawa, Koji ^[3]

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1. Unité Mixte de Physique CNRS/Thales and Université Paris-Sud 11, 1 Ave. A. Fresnel, 91767 Palaiseau (France)
2. National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) 1-1-1 Umezono, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8568 (Japan)
3. Process Development Center, Canon ANELVA Corporation, Kurigi 2-5-1, Asao, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 215-8550 (Japan)

We present time-resolved measurements of the displacement of magnetic domain-walls (DWs) driven by vertical spin-polarized currents in track-shaped magnetic tunnel junctions. In these structures, we observe very high DW velocities (600 m/s) at current densities below 10{sup 7} A/cm{sup 2}. We show that the efficient spin-transfer torque combined with a short propagation distance allows avoiding the Walker breakdown process and achieving deterministic, reversible, and fast (≈1 ns) DW-mediated switching of magnetic tunnel junction elements, which is of great interest for the implementation of fast DW-based spintronic devices.

• OSTI ID: 22253796
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 103, Issue 24; Other Information: (c) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
BREAKDOWN
CURRENT DENSITY
DISTANCE
DOMAIN STRUCTURE
EQUIPMENT
SPIN
SPIN ORIENTATION
SUPERCONDUCTING JUNCTIONS
TIME RESOLUTION
TUNNEL EFFECT