Exchange bias switching in an antiferromagnet/ferromagnet bilayer driven by spin-orbit torque

Peng, Shouzhong; Zhu, Daoqian; Li, Weixiang; Wu, Hao; Grutter, Alexander J.; Gilbert, Dustin A.; Lu, Jiaqi; Xiong, Danrong; Cai, Wenlong; Shafer, Padraic; Wang, Kang L.; Zhao, Weisheng

doi:10.1038/s41928-020-00504-6

Exchange bias switching in an antiferromagnet/ferromagnet bilayer driven by spin-orbit torque

Journal Article · Mon Nov 30 00:00:00 EST 2020 · Nature Electronics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1038/s41928-020-00504-6· OSTI ID:1844925

Peng, Shouzhong ^[1]; Zhu, Daoqian ^[2]; Li, Weixiang ^[1]; Wu, Hao ^[3]; ^[4]; ^[5]; Lu, Jiaqi ^[2]; Xiong, Danrong ^[2]; Cai, Wenlong ^[2]; ^[6]; ^[3]; ^[1]

Beihang Univ., Beijing (China); Beihang Univ., Hefei (China)
Beihang Univ., Beijing (China)
Univ. of California, Los Angeles, CA (United States)
National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD (United States)
National Inst. of Standards and Technology (NIST), Gaithersburg, MD (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Here the electrical manipulation of magnetization and exchange bias in antiferromagnet/ferromagnet thin films could be of use in the development of the next generation of spintronic devices. Current-controlled magnetization switching can be driven by spin-orbit torques generated in an adjacent heavy metal layer, but these structures are difficult to integrate with exchange bias switching and tunnelling magnetoresistance measurements. Here, we report the current-induced switching of the exchange bias field in a perpendicularly magnetized IrMn/CoFeB bilayer structure using a spin-orbit torque generated in the antiferromagnetic IrMn layer. By manipulating the current direction and amplitude, independent and repeatable switching of the magnetization and exchange bias field below the blocking temperature can be achieved. The critical current density for the exchange bias switching is found to be larger than that for CoFeB magnetization reversal. X-ray magnetic circular dichroism, polarized neutron reflectometry measurements and micromagnetic simulations show that a small net magnetization within the IrMn interface plays a crucial role in these phenomena.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: Beihang Hefei Innovation Research Institute; National Key Technology Program of China; National Natural Science Foundation of China; USDOE Office of Science (SC), Basic Energy Sciences (BES)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-05CH11231

OSTI ID:: 1844925

Journal Information:: Nature Electronics, Journal Name: Nature Electronics Journal Issue: 12 Vol. 3; ISSN 2520-1131

Publisher:: Springer NatureCopyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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