Joule Heating Effect on Field-Free Spin-Orbit Torque Magnetization Switching in Exchange Biased Systems

ORAL

Abstract

Deterministic spin-orbit torque (SOT) switching of perpendicular magnetization is usually achieved with an external magnetic field, not desired for practical applications. However, it has been shown that field-free switching can be realized using the in-plane exchange bias (EB) at an antiferromagnet/ferromagnet (AFM/FM) interface. We study Pt/CoFe/IrMn system and achieve field-free switching. Then, we quantitatively investigate the Joule heating effect in AFM/FM structures, and show that applying high current densities for switching may raise the device’s temperature close to the blocking temperature. Consequently, if not properly designed, the in-plane EB may be lost after several switching cycles, and degrade the field-free switching. Next, to enable readout using magnetic tunnel junctions, we study IrMn/CoFeB/MgO structure, where IrMn (an AFM) provides both the EB and SOT. We show that field-free switching can be realized in this structure and we discuss the performance and heating effects, providing important insights for practical field-free SOT switching in AFM/FM systems.

*This work is supported by (i) C-SPIN and (ii) FAME, centers of STARnet, an SRC program by MARCO and DARPA, (iii) US-NSF (ECCS 1611570), (iv) US-NSF TANMS (EEC-1160504), and (v) SHINES, an EFRC by US-DOE.

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Presenters

  • Seyed Armin Razavi

    • Univ of California - Los Angeles

Authors

  • Seyed Armin Razavi

    • Univ of California - Los Angeles

  • Guoqiang Yu

    • University of California, Los Angeles
    • Univ of California - Los Angeles
    • Department of Electrical Engineering, UCLA
    • BeiHang University
    • Electrical Engineering, University of California Los Angeles

  • Di Wu

    • Fudan University

  • Yong-Chang Lau

    • National Institute for Materials Science

  • Ching-Tzu Chen

    • IBM Thomas J Watson Research Center

  • Zongzhi Zhang

    • Fudan University

  • J M Coey

    • Trinity College Dublin

  • Plamen Stamenov

    • Trinity College Dublin

  • Pedram Khalili Amiri

    • Northwestern University

  • Kang L Wang

    • Univ of California - Los Angeles
    • University of California, Los Angeles