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Title: Deterministic Domain Wall Motion Orthogonal To Current Flow Due To Spin Orbit Torque

Journal Article · · Scientific Reports
DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/srep11823· OSTI ID:1624779
 [1];  [1];  [1];  [1];  [2];  [1];  [3];  [3]
  1. Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA (United States). Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences
  2. Univ. of California, Berkeley, CA (United States). Dept. of Physics
  3. Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States). Materials Sciences Division; Univ. of California, Santa Barbara, CA (United States). Dept. of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences

Spin-polarized electrons can move a ferromagnetic domain wall through the transfer of spin angular momentum when current flows in a magnetic nanowire. Such current induced control of a domain wall is of significant interest due to its potential application for low power ultra high-density data storage. In previous reports, it has been observed that the motion of the domain wall always happens parallel to the current flow – either in the same or opposite direction depending on the specific nature of the interaction. In contrast, here we demonstrate deterministic control of a ferromagnetic domain wall orthogonal to current flow by exploiting the spin orbit torque in a perpendicularly polarized Ta/CoFeB/MgO heterostructure in presence of an in-plane magnetic field. Reversing the polarity of either the current flow or the in-plane field is found to reverse the direction of the domain wall motion. Notably, such orthogonal motion with respect to current flow is not possible from traditional spin transfer torque driven domain wall propagation even in presence of an external magnetic field. Therefore the domain wall motion happens purely due to spin orbit torque. These results represent a completely new degree of freedom in current induced control of a ferromagnetic domain wall.

Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE; National Science Foundation (NSF); STARNET FAME Centre; Intel
Grant/Contract Number:
AC02-05CH11231; 1111733; 1017575; 0939514
OSTI ID:
1624779
Journal Information:
Scientific Reports, Vol. 5, Issue 1; ISSN 2045-2322
Publisher:
Nature Publishing GroupCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English

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Cited By (23)

Electric field control of deterministic current-induced magnetization switching in a hybrid ferromagnetic/ferroelectric structure journal April 2017
A spin torque meter with magnetic facet domains journal September 2018
Deterministic Spin-Orbit Torque Induced Magnetization Reversal In Pt/[Co/Ni] n /Co/Ta Multilayer Hall Bars journal April 2017
Spin orbit torques induced magnetization reversal through asymmetric domain wall propagation in Ta/CoFeB/MgO structures journal January 2018
Reconfigurable nanoscale spin-wave directional coupler using spin-orbit torque journal May 2019
Spin-orbit torque in Pt/CoNiCo/Pt symmetric devices journal February 2016
Perpendicular magnetization reversal in Pt/[Co/Ni] 3 /Al multilayers via the spin Hall effect of Pt journal February 2016
Spin-orbit torques in perpendicularly magnetized Ir22Mn78/Co20Fe60B20/MgO multilayer journal November 2016
Encoding neural and synaptic functionalities in electron spin: A pathway to efficient neuromorphic computing journal December 2017
Spin-orbit-torque-driven multilevel switching in Ta/CoFeB/MgO structures without initialization journal January 2019
Micromagnetic analysis and optimization of spin-orbit torque switching processes in synthetic antiferromagnets journal October 2019
Energy-efficient switching of nanomagnets for computing: straintronics and other methodologies journal August 2018
Voltage control of domain walls in magnetic nanowires for energy-efficient neuromorphic devices journal January 2020
Current-Induced Spin-Orbit Torque and Field-Free Switching in Mo -Based Magnetic Heterostructures journal October 2018
Triangular and Sawtooth Magnetic Domains in Measuring the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya Interaction journal December 2018
Determination of spin torque efficiencies in heterostructures with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy journal April 2016
Tunable spin-orbit torque in Cu-Ta binary alloy heterostructures journal September 2017
Deterministic Spin–Orbit Torque Switching of a Perpendicularly Polarized Magnet Using Wedge Shape of the Magnet journal June 2016
Spin-orbit torque in Pt/CoNiCo/Pt symmetric devices preprint January 2015
Electric field control of deterministic current-induced magnetization switching in a hybrid ferromagnetic/ferroelectric structure text January 2016
Encoding Neural and Synaptic Functionalities in Electron Spin: A Pathway to Efficient Neuromorphic Computing preprint January 2017
Impact of Spin-Orbit Torque on Spin-Transfer Torque Switching in Magnetic Tunnel Junctions journal February 2020
Modulated switching current density and spin-orbit torques in MnGa/Ta films with inserting ferromagnetic layers journal December 2016

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