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arXiv · 1209.0962

Gate voltage modulation of spin-Hall-torque-driven magnetic switching

Luqiao Liu·Chi-Feng Pai·D. C. Ralph·R. A. Buhrman
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Abstract

Two promising strategies for achieving efficient control of magnetization in future magnetic memory and non-volatile spin logic devices are spin transfer torque from spin polarized currents and voltage-controlled magnetic anisotropy (VCMA). Spin transfer torque is in widespread development as the write mechanism for next-generation magnetic memory, while VCMA offers the potential of even better energy performance due to smaller Ohmic losses. Here we introduce a 3-terminal magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device that combines both of these mechanisms to achieve new functionality: gate-voltage-modulated spin torque switching. This gating makes possible both more energy-efficient switching and also improved architectures for memory and logic applications, including a simple approach for making magnetic memories with a maximum-density cross-point geometry that does not require a control transistor for every MTJ.

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Luqiao Liu, Chi-Feng Pai, D. C. Ralph, R. A. Buhrman. 2012-09-05. Gate voltage modulation of spin-Hall-torque-driven magnetic switching. https://arxiv.org/abs/1209.0962

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