TY - JOUR
T1 - Field-Free Switching of Perpendicular Magnetization in an Ultrathin Epitaxial Magnetic Insulator
AU - Husain, Sajid
AU - Prestes, Nicholas F.
AU - Fayet, Olivier
AU - Collin, Sophie
AU - Godel, Florian
AU - Jacquet, Eric
AU - Denneulin, Thibaud
AU - Dunin-Borkowski, Rafal E.
AU - Thiaville, André
AU - Bibes, Manuel
AU - Jaffrès, Henri
AU - Reyren, Nicolas
AU - Fert, Albert
AU - George, Jean Marie
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 American Chemical Society.
PY - 2024/3/6
Y1 - 2024/3/6
N2 - For energy-efficient magnetic memories, switching of perpendicular magnetization by spin-orbit torque (SOT) appears to be a promising solution. This SOT switching requires the assistance of an in-plane magnetic field to break the symmetry. Here, we demonstrate the field-free SOT switching of a perpendicularly magnetized thulium iron garnet (Tm3Fe5O12, TmIG). The polarity of the switching loops, clockwise or counterclockwise, is determined by the direction of the initial current pulses, in contrast with field-assisted switching where the polarity is controlled by the direction of the magnetic field. From Brillouin light scattering, we determined the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) induced by the Pt-TmIG interface. We will discuss the possible origins of field-free switching and the roles of the interfacial DMI and cubic magnetic anisotropy of TmIG. This discussion is substantiated by magnetotransport, Kerr microscopy, and micromagnetic simulations. Our observation of field-free electrical switching of a magnetic insulator is an important milestone for low-power spintronic devices.
AB - For energy-efficient magnetic memories, switching of perpendicular magnetization by spin-orbit torque (SOT) appears to be a promising solution. This SOT switching requires the assistance of an in-plane magnetic field to break the symmetry. Here, we demonstrate the field-free SOT switching of a perpendicularly magnetized thulium iron garnet (Tm3Fe5O12, TmIG). The polarity of the switching loops, clockwise or counterclockwise, is determined by the direction of the initial current pulses, in contrast with field-assisted switching where the polarity is controlled by the direction of the magnetic field. From Brillouin light scattering, we determined the Dzyaloshinskii-Moriya interaction (DMI) induced by the Pt-TmIG interface. We will discuss the possible origins of field-free switching and the roles of the interfacial DMI and cubic magnetic anisotropy of TmIG. This discussion is substantiated by magnetotransport, Kerr microscopy, and micromagnetic simulations. Our observation of field-free electrical switching of a magnetic insulator is an important milestone for low-power spintronic devices.
KW - Dzyaloshinskii−Moriya interaction
KW - field-free magnetization switching
KW - magnetic insulator
KW - magnetocrystalline anisotropy
KW - spin−orbit torques
U2 - 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c04413
DO - 10.1021/acs.nanolett.3c04413
M3 - Article
C2 - 38393986
AN - SCOPUS:85186482786
SN - 1530-6984
VL - 24
SP - 2743
EP - 2750
JO - Nano Letters
JF - Nano Letters
IS - 9
ER -